The Fight: A Maximum Ride Novel
by Kimmylovesyou707
Summary: When Her Younger Sister, Angel, Dies in a Fire Max Leaves The Streets She's Come To Know Very Well. With Daddy Gone and Mommy Never Home She Has no Choice but To Take Their Place for Her Brothers, Iggy & Gazzy. She No Longer Trust Any One Anymore, But Can The New Guy At School Change That? & What About Him Seems So Familiar? Fax!
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Fifteen year old Maximum Ride is not like other girls. Max is left feeling alone in the world after a tragic accident where she loses her sister, the only person who she ever opened up to. After the accident her parent's fights get worse and her father leaves. Max is left to deal with her dads' absents, the drama of high school, and the loss of her sister. But what happens when she finally meets someone who cares about her? Will she push him away like she does everyone else? Join Maximum as she learns the truths about life in the suspenseful, drama filled, romance novel, Half Broken.

**Chapter 1:**

Its sometime past midnight and their shouts don't lessen. They blast loud music to cover their shouts, but after years of hearing they fight you can still make it out. I'm in my room with my brothers by my side. Iggy is thirteen years old with short curly brown hair and choc let brown eyes. Gazzy is seven with short straight black hair and dark brown eyes. My name is Maximum Ride but I go by Max. I'm fifteen with long curly black hair and plain black eyes.

Tomorrow is the first day of school. Iggy's nervous about his first day of 8th grade while Gazzy is excited for second grade. For me it didn't matter what I was. My life was my brothers. That was my first priority.

My mother had been working every day of summer, all day long. We never saw her anymore. She was either locked up in her room or working. My Father worked every day, but weekends.

I remember when everything was good or at least better than this. It was about a year ago from now. My parents still fought over money, but at least back then our family was still whole.

It was winter break and life was good. My parents didn't fight, I got to hang out with my friends and there were no worries. We had decided to spend the holidays at home instead of going to visit family. It was Christmas Eve; my parents had gone out to do last minute shopping late at night. I was left alone with my siblings Angel, Iggy, and Gazzy.

Not an hour later there was a burst of flames coming out of the heater. It was spreading fast. All that ran through my head that fearful night was to save my siblings. I shoved Iggy and Gazzy out the window first, but when I turned for Angel she was gone. She had gone to save our dog from the fire. I ran behind her trying to get her out, but was carried out by a fireman before I could reach her. She passed away that night from inhaling too much gas.

Since that day on things haven't been the same. Quickly after my parents had another fight and my dad left. My mother became depressed, but there was nothing I could do. I tried to fill in for my dad as best as I could but it wasn't much...at least to my mother and I. Anyone else would have you believe I did pretty well, and I pretty much did. But we need my dad as much as I need my sister by my side.

We had a routine down for weekdays. I awoke early for school, and then before leaving I would wake the boys. After school my mother would go to work until morning so I would spend my day taking care of my brothers. If you looked at us you'd think we're doing fine, but if you looked closely you could see flaws, cracks in our wall of life.

I know I'm not the same person after my sister's death. I never saw my friends anymore, I put space between me and people, and I became depressed, but you couldn't tell. I've had years of masking my emotions, that my mask was perfect. Plus I could never cry in front of more than one person. But I remember silently crying myself to sleep as the memories of the accident came flooding in, or when the guilt was too much to bear.

My parents taught me how to lie with a straight face, how not to trust, and that love only happens in fairy tales, but my sister taught me how to smile even when times were bad, how to ignore the fights and live my life. She taught me how to really laugh, to keep my mind out of the dark.

No matter what happens I'll always keep what my sister taught me close to my heart. The day I remembered what she had told me I promised always to keep myself hanging on to that rope of hope, even when the rope turns to string.

When I lost my sister my brothers made me strong. I felt like giving up, chugging down some pills and ending it all, but when I saw tears fill their eyes I knew I had to be there for them.

So here I was at a little past midnight comforting my brothers. My dad always came home on the weekends to "spend time with his kids", but all that he would do was fight with my mother. Iggy, Gazzy, and I would end up hiding in my room, trying to stay out of the way all weekend long.

Alight snore filled my ears and I turn to Gazzy. He had fallen asleep on my lap and I placed him on my bed. I tell Iggy to go to sleep with Gazzy. I would take the floor. I check the time, 2:28 A.M. I find my IPod and blast my rock music like I always did. The music drowned out the fighting, as I drifted into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A quite _ding _noise goes off. I quickly awake from my slumber to turn off my alarm. I didn't need my mom on my back on the first day of school. My mother isn't a horrible person I mean she gets on my nervous, but I just have to think I'd never want to be in her position.

I check my phone. I had two messages both from my best friends Nudge and Eva. They had been my best friends for years. They were the only ones I could talk to with complete honesty, even before the accident. Nudge was going to move away just before summer last year but her mom decided to stay here. I reply to their 'Good luck today's' with 'Thanks, you too'.

I made my way to my closet picking out the first shirt and pants I found. I never worry about how I looked I don't even go shopping for my close. My mom bought whatever she wanted for me. I was not a mommy's girl, I just didn't care.

I pull on the close and went to the bathroom to brush moose through my hair to my crazy black tame of curls I always had in the morning. After fixing my hair I made my way to my closet pulling out my favorite pair of blue Nikes. I put them on checking the time, 6:46 A.M.

I walk over to my brother's room and turn on the lights indicated they wake up for school. I walked into my mother room. She woke up as she always did. She checked out my outfit and gave me a small nod indicating I looked okay.

"I'm going" I say opening the door that leads to the front of the house.

She doesn't reply but gets up to turn on the lights in her room so she didn't fall asleep.

I walked down my street blasting music on my iPod. When my phone buzzes, I pulled it out. It was my friend Sonya. I had been friends with her for a year now. She was really funny person.

I had many friends at school who I hung out with a lot before the accident. Everyone on campus before knew me as the girl who could make you laugh, when you wanted to cry. The girl who was proud of who she was, and wear she came from, but now I was _just_ the girl who lost her sister. The girl who had connections in all the wrong places. The girl everyone was scared of.

I answered my friend calling her my her last name "Wassup Munoz"

"Aye Max it's been too long. I 'member when we use to party it up all the time" She greets.

After my sister's death I didn't want to be in the house. I would sneak out of my room depressed from all the memories of me sister that laid there. I would hit up Sonya. She was always at parties followed by guys all the times. I hung out with her and before I knew it I was her. I was the girl who made the party.

She showed me how to dress to impress, how to hold down my liquor, how to make out with random guys without feeling horrible. I liked this life. I liked how I could blow everything off and dance away my problems, how I could drink the pain away. I remember going home at four in the morning. I remember the horrible hangovers, but mostly I remember swearing to never lead that life again after a friend of mine was shoot at a party by a drunk senior.

"Yeah" I whisper into the phone.

"Well I just wanted to know if you wanted a lift" Sonya asks.

I couldn't drive my car to school because I wasn't sixteen but by the time I was thirteen I had already been sixteen for four years. But I couldn't risk a night in jail. I only drove my car when I had to, when I needed too, or when I didn't give a fuck.

"Nahh I'm good. A little walking won't kill me" I say.

"Okay" She says and hangs up.

I make my way into the office to pick up my schedule. I got my schedule checking my classes. I had first period Language Arts, second period History, third period Science, fourth period Gym, fifth period Yearbook, and lastly sixth period Math. It wasn't that bad. I made my way to my locker to take out my laptop that my school required for all our classes.

I bumped into a group of friends I use to hang out with on a daily bases on my way to class. I remember how I swore they were my girls 'til the end. There were six girls in the group. There was Emily, who was the loud one in our group, then there was Michelle who was the pot head of our group, next was Jasmine the pretty cheerleader of our group, after was Cassandra the funny bad girl, then there was Eva the shy girl in our group.

Our group never followed the rule of high school that said cheerleaders and pot heads couldn't be best friends or that bad girls couldn't hang with shy girls. Maybe that's why I still loved these girls.

"Aye Maxi M" they greet as I come up. They had called me 'Maxi M' since sixth grade even though my last name was Ride.

"Hey girls" I say hugging my best friend Eva first and then the others.

"It's been too long Max. We miss your loud, funny, alcoholic ass" Emily says hugging me harder.

I laugh and reply "Yeah"

The warning bell goes off and we all say good bye. Eva stays by my side while everyone else goes to class.

"Let me see your classes" She asks.

I hand her my schedule while she hands me hers. I glance at her classes and see we have History together. I was about to say something when the late bell goes off. Eva's eyes widen like the good girl she is and we switch back. She runs off to class while I walk. That's one of the perks of being freshmen getting away with being late the first week of class.

I walk into class and give my schedule to my teacher. She nodes and points to an empty chair. I take my seat and go off into day dream mode. Someone enters the room interrupting my teacher's speech of how great the years going to be. Everyone turns to look who it is, but I keep my eyes out the window staring off at the big open land I wish I could run away too.

The teacher points to the seat next to me to the boy and he takes his seat. I slip on my jacket so I can listen to music by sliding an ear bud through the sleeve and up to my palm where I can lean on it and enjoy my music. I'm in the middle of a song when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around ready to be caught for listening to my music, but there's no teacher just a guy.

"What?" I ask annoyed at being disrupted.

"Hey my names Fang" He says.

"So?" I ask.

"I'm new" He says smirking.

I really look at him this time. He has the sexy out-of-bed of hair. He's tall and definitely Mexican. He has a big smile with dimples and chocolate swirl brown eyes. He was actually cute.

"Aye new, I'm Max" I say

I don't know what's come over me. I never talked to new kids, but here I was trying to strike up a conversation, maybe even flirting. I catch the eye of a good friend of mine, Alejandro, who looks amazed that I'm talking to someone I don't know. He gives me the thumbs up, and I shake my head at him with a smile on my face.

Fang laughs at me and asks "Whatcha listenin to?"

I hand him a bud while the teachers back is turned. It didn't really matter that she turned we we're seated in the every back anyways. Fang smiles while listening.

"I love their music" He says talking about the Mexican Banda I was listening to.

We start talking about a lot of things like where he moved from, LA, his favorite color, blue, favorite sport, soccer, ECT. We became friends really quick. I decided I really do want to be his friend so he would never know of my life at home.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The rest of my day is uneventful. I get through the day without punching anyone's lights out, which I've had the habit of doing recently, or cutting class. I make my way home quickly knowing my brothers are alone. My brothers are bright for their ages. They see what's going on but they're still boys and boys will be boys.

I can never help but wonder how life would be like if my sister was here. Most of the times I feel that if she came back she could just fix everything. Other times I feel like if she came back she could give me the strength I've been missing to fix things like I did before.

I have a flash back. I'm in the living room and Angel and I had just calmed down our brothers from the horrifying news that my father thought my mother was cheating. Angel had sneaked off to our room at the time and began to cry to herself. She had always been strong even when she didn't have to. You almost never saw her cry. And if you did your name had to be Maximum Ride her sister.

I walked into the room to check on her and saw her crying her eyes out on the floor by our bed. I go over to her gently and place a comforting arm around her. She then notices me and her eyes tear more. She cries to me and I hold her in my arms and promise her that no matter what happened we'd always have each other.

I broke that promise to her. And now she is all alone up there with only my grandmother to look after her even when her older sister promised to always watch over her. I held back tears the first day I reminded the day.

I finally made it to the house. I continually ring the bell rapidly to let my brothers know it's me. They open the doors and let me in. I walk immodestly to the kitchen to see what there is to cook up for them. I set up a soup for them and check the mail. Bills from the hospital keep coming in and I get scared we'll never be able to pay off that dept.

"So how was school" I ask the boys as I throw off my shoes.

"It was okay. They had us follow weird schedules. I almost got lost" Iggy says while watching the TV.

"What about you Gazzy?" I ask to my younger brother giving him more attention than Iggy. God knows he never has any. The rest of us Angel Iggy and I had a moment in time where we got spoiled but Gazzy was six years old. He grew up never seeing happy times like the rest of us did.

"It was fun. We got to color and draw" Gazzy says reminding me how much he absolutely adores drawing. He was just a creative kid.

"And you Max?" He asks coming over to sit on my lap.

"It was fine, thank you" I say smiling down at him.

I may be hard on every living person on this earth but my brothers are my soft spot. I know I'm terribly rude to my parents, that I scare off almost all the students who attend my school and that even teachers don't put up an effort to change me but for my brothers I'd give my life. I use to take so much advantage of them before and I'm not going to lie I still do sometimes but I know I really love them and that if I didn't have them I would have been up there (Or in my case down their) a long time ago.

The soup is done and I serve them. They finish and I start to clean up knowing my mother will be here soon for her lunch break and I wasn't in the mood for a lecture about how hard she works for me not to help her out at all. I love my mom, I really do, but sometimes I wish she could see my point of view, maybe have a little faith in me.

I finish cleaning and announce that I'll be in my room. I always run off to my room when my mother's home. It's just easier. If I'm safely hidden in my room, the house is clean, and my brothers have eaten she won't bug me.

I pull out my iPod which I know I use way too much but music really is my life. It's one of the only things that can make me forget. I also really love reading happy, romance, comedy novels. Where I can pretend to be the girl in the book who has everything but love in her life but then suddenly she falls in love. The somehow she ends up getting hurt for a while but in the end she lives happy ever after.

How I long to be that girl. To have parents who love me the way I am no changes, to be whom I want to be, to have a man who loves me for me.

I'm in the middle of the part of the stories where the guy invites the girl in for coffee hoping to get lucky when my phone buzzes. I open it immediately not wanting my mother to hear it. She hates that in her words "I am always on the phone". It's a text from a mysterious number.

_Hey_ it reads.

_Who is dis?_ I reply.

_Fang. Who else?_ He reply's immediately.

_Oh well I don't know. Maybe one of my many lots of friends_ I reply sarcastically joking.

_From what I hear you don't have many friends, actually the lot of people I meet today seemed rather afraid when I asked who you were_ He replies

I smile as I read his text _oh those bloody bastereds._I say under the influence of reading a British book and fight back the feeling to say they have STD's but stop myself.

_Hahaha but really why the huge hate and fear from every soul_ He replies.

_I'll have you know not everyone fears and/or hates me. I do actually have friends _I reply loving playing around with him.

_Oh right that weird group of your but really why_ He replies almost immediately talk about a textaholic.

_Long story_ I say preferring not to get into either subject about my friends or why everyone hate/fears me.

_I got time_ He replie_s._

I smile to myself but it quickly vanishes he just wants the scoop probably for his new whore like friends. So instead of telling him I ask _why?_

_Maybe because I care_ He replies and I swear this boy will be the death of me.

I can see it now Maximum Ride killed by love. How lovely. Yeah note that sarcasm their yeah well get use to it because it's a big part of who Maximum Ride is and she doesn't plan on changing that anytime soon. Not for my parents, not for teachers, not even for the law.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I'm in my Gym class running suicides. I always enjoyed Gym when I was younger. I loved being outside in the sun playing games, being active. Gym was horrible now all we did was run. I'm a pretty good runner, and did track seventh grade, but even running gets boring.

Munoz was in my class. I really did love her as my friend, but every time I was with her I saw my life before and I couldn't handle it. Plus she was never herself. She was always on drugs or drunk beyond belief. I always thought she was the coolest chick. I loved out drinking her because then I felt like I was just as cool.

Anyways here I was running when a girl from the 'popular' crowd runs in front of me making me trip. The whole class stopped knowing I loved picking fights. The girl's eyes widened as she fakes an innocent look. She knew who I was too. I got up whipping off imaginary dust of my gym shorts.

Munoz and Cassandra backed me up as they see two other white girls stand behind the girl. The rest of our class formed a circle and chanted the usual 'Fight,Fight,Fight' rant.

I give a small nodded and my girls bounced. They attack the two back up girls while I took the girl who tripped me. I sent a round house kick to her chest followed by a drop kick to her lower left leg making her fall. I straddled her waist and send blows into her stomach.

I was about to finish her off when I'm pulled off. I use all my force to make it let go, but it wouldn't. I look around for my girls, but there being held back by two teenage guys our age. I look at the other girls who are all over the floor. I feel my lips turn in a smile. No one messes with me.

I'm finally let down followed by my girls. I turn ready to drop kick who ever didn't let me finish them off but I find Fang. I look at him with a questioning face. Why would he do that?

He had a look on his face. It was something along the lines of shock, impression, and maybe a little bit of fear. I look away from him embarrassed and see my girls flirting with the guys that grabbed them. Under different circumstances I would have laughed at my girls for being like that but I couldn't.

"What were you doing?" He asked

I wasn't in the mood for questions so I didn't answer. I grabbed my bag and left the gym. I walk to the back of the school ready to ditch by jumping our schools back fence. I'm half way up when I hear 'Maximum Ride to the principal's office...NOW!' I flip off the speaker and keep going. A nerd spots me and races to a teacher before I could get him. Shit! I climb down and go to the office.

As I walk in greets me "Max, what did you do now?"

I smile innocently at my favorite school secretariat and reply "I didn't do anything"

She smiles back and says "Of course not" with a wink.

We share a laugh when the principal, an old almost bald guy, walks in. He gestures his hand to the door and I walk in. In the room there's a big wooden table. Seated at the table are the three girls at one end looking like they just got jumped and at the other end are my girls.

I sit next to my girls and ask 'who snitched' in Spanish "Quién?"

"Las cámaras" Cassandra replies saying it was the school anti bulling cameras that got us caught.

"Chingado. Y usted no escapar" I reply saying 'shit why didn't you escape'.

"ENOUGH!" The principal shouts about our speaking Spanish.

"You're in America speak English!" One of the girls says.

I stand up and say "Whatever white trash!"

"You want a piece of me Mexican?"

"No sweetie, I want the whole fuckin' thing!"

Were all standing at this point. Even the principal.

"Ladies! Sit down!" He orders.

The three girls take their seats first then we do.

"Maximum, Cassandra, and Sonya your punishment is a weeks' worth of lunch detention" The principal says.

We wait for him to give the other girls there punishment, but he doesn't.

"Dismissed" he says waving his hand towards the door.

I stand up first and throw my fists on the big wooden table making the other girls along with the principal jump

"Now you look here. We" I say pointing to my girls and I "Might have done wrong, but they started it and they went along with it" I finish.

It wasn't my fault they suck at fighting. They were still involved and started it at first.

"Maximum with your recorded I would happy not to be suspended!" The principal warns.

I open my mouth to speak, but my girls drag me out.

What was that about?" I shout at them once were outside.

"Max you know I'll back you up and I'd do anything for you, but I can't get suspended...again" Cassandra says.

"Fine. I'm outta here" I say and sling my bag over my shoulder, and jump the front office fence not caring. I need to leave.

I go to my car and drive to my brother's school. Their school was a combination of Middle and Elementary school. So I could pick them up at one office instead of two. I park my car and walk into the office. I was going to get them out early.

"Hello, how may I help you?" a young lady greets me.

"I'm here to pick up Iggy and Gazzy Ride for their dentist appointment" I say in an older voice I was use to using when I needed to pretend to be my mother.

"Of course " She says and calls up the boys.

They make it to the office and hug me. I sign them out and we walk back to my car. Once in the car Iggy cranks up some music and we sing along and have a good time.

After a while Gazzy asks me "Max what happens to you?"

I look in the mirror and see a small scratch by my eye. "Oh that? It was nothing" I say.

Iggy looks at me and rolls his eyes "Get into another fight Max?" He says knowing I was indeed in a fight.

"You should have seen the other girl" I say to them and we all laugh.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I sat in my math class sitting next to a shy girl named Kenai. I'd seen her around school before and knew she wasn't usually shy. Guess I just bring that out of people. A girl walks in to the class. The teacher stopped in mid-rant to take a slip with my name from her hand. He read it and throw it onto my desk as the office girl dismissed herself.

I don't' know if I hate or love the way all the teachers don't even try with me anymore. The first time it was weird to see a teacher do homework call and pass right by me. After class I couldn't help but ask and all she said was 'did you do it?' and then I replied 'No' and she just ignored me and went back to grading the tests.

I was about to read the slip when a note flies onto my desk. I look up to find who threw it, only to see Fang looking at me. A small sigh escapes my lips. I like Fang. I like him so much I can't have him, but I opened the note against my better judgment.

_U always get into so much trouble?_ His note read.

I crumble the note into a ball and throw it into the trash. I grab my slip that reads _' Maximum Ride please report to the office immediately.'_ I pack up my notebook and pencil, and head to the office. I glance back at my class to see Fang try to hide a hurt expression, and my partner let out a breath she had been holding in since she found out I was her partner.

I walk into the office, and my favorite secretary attends me. I hand her my slip, and she points to the office door of the councilor. I sigh when I see I'm going to have to see the councilor like I did in my last school. The secretary laughs at my attitude, and tells me to wait until she's done.

I take a seat and in less than a minute later I see a girl come out crying, and a boy come out with a big smile. He must have tried to do something to get rid of her permanently. The councilor a young blond lady comes out handing the girl a napkin to clear her tears.

"You must be Maximum Ride" She says to me.

I nodded and stand up walking into her office. Her office was decorated in supportive and inspirational posters with a cherry yellow paint job. She had a messy desk with flyers about how to deal pregnancy, suicide, depression, family problems, ECT.

That's what's wrong with councilors they think a little pink flyer with pictures of fake smiles will fix everything. I never open up to any of my councilors before, and I don't plan on changing that. No matter how many words I say things won't get betters. No matter how many tears I cry I won't get my sister back. So how is talking going to help anyone.

"My name is Penny." She said holding her hand out for me to shake.

That was another thing with councilors they expect for you to open up to them when we can't even call them by their first name. I don't take her hand just nod to show I heard. I told you I don't really let people in, or even close to not being total strangers.

"Well I've been looking through your file and it shows that all of your councilors have unsuccessful in getting you to open up. I plan to change that. You look like a normal girl Max, but I know you too well" She says

I turn to her. She doesn't even know who I am. She continues on her little welcome as if I didn't just give her the 'WTF' look. I don't know if I like this lady. She has this weird vibe thing going on. It kind of gives off that she actually want to help me.

"See I was you. I had problems at home, I put on the same mask you know live in every day." She said.

She had my full attention now. None of my councilors have ever even been able to figure out even an inch of what I was feeling. She was different I could tell she wasn't one of those people who read a book and think they know everything there is on whatever the book was about, no she had real life experience.

"Let me explain. My parents, my brother and I were always so close, but a week after my 17th birthday my parents sat my brother, who was nineteen at the time down, and I down and told us they were getting a divorce." She said starting her story.

"I thought they were playing with us, but in the corner of my eye I saw a suitcase by the door. That night my dad left. My brother yelled and fought my parents. He broke glass and ran outside trying to stop my father. My father finally left, and I never saw him again." She explained.

She wasn't like all my other councilors she had been there even if she did have the good life longer than I did. A part of me felt sorry for the young girl who had everything and then lost it all, but the smart ass side of me still wanted to say she knew nothing about how I felt because she didn't actually lose her father.

"And then a year later on the anniversary of my dads' absent my brother committed suicide. After I lost him I didn't, couldn't trust anyone. Everything good about life disappeared for me. I felt alone, abandoned, lost. I cried myself to sleep for a year. Then there was a moment where I told myself I had to step it up, and I did. When I didn't cry I couldn't sleep, and that's when I discovered the night life. The drinks, the parties, and well pretty much everything. If you could name it I've done it, but Max you can change that. You can fix things. For your brothers, your family, for you."

I open my mouth to protest, but she holds a finger and adds "Bottling it up only works for so long. Trust me."

"So what do I do then?" I ask quietly.

"Join our grief group. I promise if it doesn't help I will take you out" She advised.

"I'll think about it" I say getting my bag and opening the door to leave.

"Just one more thing" She says.

"Yes?" I say turning around.

"It's mandatory" She says smiling.

I sigh but leave her office without another word. Her story, her words just kept replaying in my head.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Today was just a usual day for me at school. I got through my classes without detention, ditching or getting in a fight. Its funny how my goal for every day of school is to not to do those things, but its funnier how I might have to add 'stay away from Fang' to the list.

I really like Fang and me so wish we could be friends, but I know myself too well. I would get close to him and then trust him with all my secrets only to watch him hurt me in the end.

My mom was at work like usual, and I was home with my brothers. Gazzy was in Iggy and his room coloring in the new coloring book I bought him on my way home. I told you I had a soft spot, I ain't always hard core. Gosh why doesn't anyone believe me.

Anyways after finishing up the dishes I walk into the living room to watch some TV. But Iggy's the only there, but get this the TV isn't on! I turn to look at Iggy typing away on the computer. Could it be one of those loser computer games? He better not have discovered the act of porn videos. I better find out. I creep up behind Iggy.

"Whatcha doin'?" I asked behind Iggy's shoulders looking at the computer screen.

"Nothing." Iggy quickly answers getting out of the chat room page he was on.

"Ooo I know that look to well. Iggy's got himself a girl" I tease shaking his shoulders lightly.

"No I don't" He replies a light blush on his cheeks.

"Come on! Share!" I say pulling up a chair by him.

"She's just a girl in my reading class" He says just as the computer dings and a small rectangle box on the left corner blinked.

"Wow. You really like this girl huh?" I ask as Iggy pretends to have not seen the blinking box.

"So what's her name?" I add.

"Ella" He says and then adds "But she's not my girlfriend, never will be"

"Aw, why not?" I ask.

"She's so popular. Plus all the bad boys like her. She's way out of my league." Iggy says as if it were a fact he could never have her.

"Well I don't know about that maybe you're just a horrible flirt" I say and see Iggy's smile turn sad.

"Or maybe you just have to take your chances and ask her." I add.

"Maybe guys are so intimidated by her they never ask so she might say yes to you" I advise.

"But I can't Max" Iggy says sadly but then his eyes widen with excitement. He has an idea.

"But you can!" He adds.

"I'm sorry Iggy but you know this really is not my best area. May I remind you I've only had one boyfriend in all my life, and we all know how horrible that was." Iggy makes a face at the mention of my ex-boyfriend.

Okay so maybe he wasn't the best boyfriend, and I should've known that. He was the star soccer player on my middle school team. His name is Sam. He was 5'9" with Black spiked up hair. He wasn't really my type but when he asked me out I said yes. I guess I only said yes because I thought a boyfriend would take my mind off the loss of my sister.

Not until later did I find out he was dared to ask me out. It was so humiliating, just enough to make me swear off guys. Hence him being my first and last boyfriend. Weird I always thought that if I ever said that it would mean I married him. But sadly it just meant he ruined boys for me.

"Please Max, I need you. Plus you're a girl you know how girls think" Iggy begs.

"Just in case you haven't noticed I'm nothing like other girls" I say feeling trapped.

I know myself and I know Iggy so I know I will end up helping Iggy either way.

"Neither is she" He responds all love sick puppy like.

"Fine" I say in defeat taking the keyboard from his him.

_Are you a good dancer?_ I typed.

"What kind of stupid question is that!" Iggy shouts at me.

"I know what I'm doing" I say as he mumbles something inaudible

_I'm not really the best _she replied.

_Well how would you feel if I invited you to a little party my friends having and I teach you?_ I reply

_Are you inviting me to a party?_ She replied.

_Only if you'll say yes_ I typed in, getting the thumbs up from Iggy.

_Okay, I'll go:)_ She replied.

_Then it's a date_ I reply and hand the keyboard back to Iggy.

I start to leave for my room when Iggy calls out "Hey Max, thanks. Really."

"Anytime Bro. Anytime" I say and enter my room only to think that I too have things to think about.

Fang.

Later on after my mother had left after her lunch break I walk into Iggy's room. Gazzy is on the Wii playing Wii Sport Baseball while Iggy is texting furiously fast on his phone. I go over to sit by Gazzy because Iggy still hadn't noticed me.

"Whatcha doin' baby?" I ask Gazzy.

"I'm playing baseball Max. I already have three home runs. I wish I could play in real life" Gazzy replies.

"Well how about we go to Wal-Mart today and buy you a bat and ball and if you're as good as you are on the Wii we'll just have to sigh you up to a team" I say.

"Really?" Gazzy asks his eyes wide with happiness.

"Sure Gazzy" I smile at him.

"When did you get in here Max?" Iggy asks looking up from his phone.

"Oh you know a while ago" I say going over to sit by him.

"So whatcha doin'?" I ask looking at the screen where is read 0/158 messages.

"Wow, lots of texts. Who they from?" I add.

"Ella" He answers a light pink blush covers his face.

"Get some!" I joke giving him a high five.

Iggy laughs at me and asks "So can I go to that party?"

"Only if you promise you'll have a good time" I say.

"Promise." Iggy says a smile on his face.

His phone plays the song 'Just Can't Get Enough' by Black Eye Peas. I raise an eye brow as I see that song is programed to play every time he gets a text from Ella.

"What?" Iggy says fighting back the urge to blush again.

"Nothing" I smile as I get out of the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Today is Sunday. My parents have been fighting since my mom got off work yesterday. It's six o'clock now and the noise hasn't lessened. If you were our neighbor you'd think we throw parties every weekend from all the loud music.

My parents are at it in the living room right now. I just hope they don't try and come in here. I feel my brothers tense up as glass shatters. I turn off my iPod standing up. Iggy and Gazzy both look at me questioning.

"Come on" I whisper pointing to the window.

"Where are we going?" Iggy asks.

"Take Gazzy with you and go down to the park stay there 'til I call you" I say.

I open my window taking off the window spring off. Iggy jumps out first followed by Gazzy. I mouth 'Be careful' and Iggy whispers "You too". Iggy shoots me an encouraging smile and there off on their bikes.

I sigh as soon as I can't see them anymore. I cover my open window with my dark purple curtains and walk out into the hall way. I crouch into a spot where I can hear them better and watch them.

"I'll fight you for them! We'll go to court." My father shouts at my mom as if he gave a shit about us.

My dad always said he was going to take us. But the court would never give us to him. He had a bad recorded. He always said he was going to do things but he's just a liar. I learned a long time ago that I could never trust him.

"You can have them! Just don't think I'm lying" My mom shouts back.

That was it. If she didn't want us she didn't have to deal with us. I run back to my room pulling out the three emergency backpacks I had set up for Iggy, Gazzy and I in case we ever had to run.

The three backpacks held clothes, shoes, undergarments, and pretty much whatever they need for a couple of weeks. Mine more than there is. It held a First aid kit, all of our passports, copies of our birth certificates, 30,000 dollars I had saved from my job, my car keys, there health insurance cards, my fake ID, and papers in case we needed to leave the country.

I throw the bags in my car. This was it, we were really leaving. I start my car driving up to the local park. No one runs out of the house screaming 'Don't leave!'. My heart pangs and I feel a tear slid down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away. There not worth my tears. Not anymore.

I arrive at the park in less than five minutes. The boys are racing against each other. I wolf whistle at them to get their attention. They both stop looking around for the person who whistled. I fake a smile as they see it was me. They bike over to me.

"Max whatcha doin' here?" Gazzy asks.

"Hop in guys we're going...on a vacation" I say hiding the truth from Gazzy.

Gazzy looks ecstatic as he goes over to the trunk to throws his bike in the back. Iggy looks me in the eye. He understands what I mean. He knows all too well were running away. I plead with my eyes for him to hide it from Gazzy. He nods and goes around to the back of my car. I open the trunk and they pile their bikes into the car. Iggy and Gazzy take the back seat. I drive off to the nearest Denny's for dinner.

"Yay Denny's!" Gazzy shouts as I park.

"Here Iggy" I say handing him a fifty and then add "I'll be there in a bit, order me something. I need to make a call"

He stands still for a moment as if arguing whether or not he should stay with me. I make a 'go' movement with my hand and they head inside the restaurant. I pull out my phone and dial my old friend Gustavo. I meet him back in my fighting and party days.

"China?" He answers calling me by my party name, I earned for my crazy curly hair.

"Aye G" I say and smile in memory of all the times he's helped me get out of my shit.

"It's been too long. Where you at? How shit been?" He replied.

"Yeah it has. I miss you. I'm at Denny's gettin' my bro some grub and you know shits been shity always has been" I say.

"Anyway I could help make shit be less shity?" He asks like good old him, always helping out an old friend out.

"Actually, I'm takin a break from the rents, and I need a place to crash thought maybe you could find me a hotel" I say crossing my fingers.

"Oh that's gonna to be tough" He says.

I sigh into the phone. He was my last hope.

"I'm just playing with you China. For you anything's possible." He say and then adds "Damn, I still remember that day the cops almost caught you. You bite the officer and ran like the wind. You were so fast."

I smile and say "Those days are long behind me and thanks you really are a life saver."

"Anytime" He says and then adds "Okay there's a nice hotel on E street it rents for $100 a week for one room" He says.

"That's perfect, I'll take it." I say.

"You know if you need the cash you can always go back to fighting. We really do miss our best fighter." He says.

"I'm good. I still got that job at the old gym. Don't pay as good as the fights, but I just can't risk not being able to do my best for these kids. You know how it is" I say.

"Yeah. Well if you ever do you know where to find me China" He says.

"Yeah thanks again G" I say.

"No problem. Take care of yourself. Okay, China? And 'member you deserve better too" He says.

"I gotta go" I say and hang up.

I lock my car and enter the diner. I spot my brother chowing down. I walk over to them and start to eat my food too. I smile because for once I know things will get better.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After eating we walk back to my car. I check my phone before starting my car as my brothers buckle in. A part of me wants to see thousands of missed calls from my parent's worried sick about their kids, while another part of me knows they'd never even notice us gone. Either way I flip open my phone only to see two texts. One from Gustavo with directions to the hotel. The second from Sonya.

It read:

_Heard you finally ran from the rents. Congrats is in order. Swing by mi casa I'm throwin' a partay!_

Typical Sonya. She's lived on her own for almost two years now. 'How can she manage to own a house when she hasn't worked a day in her life?' you ask. Well that's easy, her mother left her a huge inheritance when she died from Cancer two and a half years ago.

Her father had givin' her the money in an attempt to get rid of her after she started to go to late night parties, sneak guys in around three in the morning, and get arrested on a daily basis.

So she bought her own house and always threw the biggest bashes the towns ever seen. Guess that's how she got a rep for making a party. Sonya had a lot of emotional problems from the lack of family structure she had been missing ever since her mother was diagnosed. Not that she ever let anyone know anything was wrong. She was strong that way. Maybe even smart for that.

She believed if you never let anyone in they could never hurt you. She also believed that if you never talk about it it's not real. She had her weird ways of doing things, but at the end of the day she still had a family who cared about her. One she made herself.

Even though that family wasn't perfect mostly made up of people with lots of problems they all still stuck together. I really admired her for that. We use to be super close before her mom was diagnosed. She use to be kinda nerdy but I still loved her as a friend.

I still remember the day she found out. She was so broken inside and out. I talked to her every day and she became my best friend. Even when she began to get cool she never forgot about me. She was there for me when I lost my sister. Even if she did it her way. Drinking so much you go numb.

Anyways I started the car and re-read the directions to the hotel putting Sonya's invite on hold. No matter what has happened to me I still think about everyone who was there for me when I needed them. Everyone who was like my family during my party days, my fighting days, my gang days, my racing days.

I meet so many people. Real people. I mean everyone's real but no one could compare a school girl friend to a friend you went to jail with or a friend who got you out. They're my family even if they got ain't the best role models.

We arrived in less than an ten minutes. The hotel was not the best, but what kind of hotel would that allowed under age kids to rent rooms. The hotel was in need of a paint job but other than that it looked almost perfect.

"Wait in the car while I go check in" I announce to Iggy and Gazzy.

I park the car and walk over to the front entrance to check in. The counters empty. I wait a while for someone to notice me or to come out. Finally after ten minutes I get impatient enough to ring the bell. A slim lady in her mid-thirties wearing a formal black skirt and semi-formal ruffle white blouse appears.

"Welcome to Dawn hotel. My name is Jane Riley, how may I help you?" She greets totally surprising me by her nice tone of voice.

"Um, I have a reservation under Maximum Ride" I say making my voice sound louder.

"Of course I just need to see some ID?" She asked.

Shit. This better be a good hotel Gustavo. I reach into my wallet behind my driver's license to the fake ID Sonya had gotten me so we could go clubbing and buy beer. Thank god for Sonya.

"Perfect, here's your key the two rooms are connected by the bathroom" She says handing me back the fake ID and then adds "If you need anything don't be afraid to ask"

I mumble a 'thanks' but my minds on greater thing. I walk outside to my car to help my brothers get the backpacks into our room. The first room is painted plain white. It holds a desk, a small closet, an old TV and a twin size bed. It must be my room.

"My room guys. Your room in through that door" I say pointing to the bathroom we both shared where I could vaguely see a king size bed.

After an hour of mindlessly flipping through channels and pretending to watching the TV I check my phone. Nothing. Damn it! Why can't they ever be normal and give a shit for once!

I clutch my phone filled with anger. I raise my hand pulling it back ready to throw my phone powerfully across the room, therefor making it crash into the wall, when Iggy walks in. He gives me a questioning look glancing at my phone and then back at me. I slowly put my hand down.

"Can we go to the pool?" Iggy asks.

"Where?" I ask.

"There's a pool at the hotel by the lobby" Iggy answers.

"I don't know guys" I say.

"Please Max, Iggy will take care of me" Gazzy begs.

"Fine" I say giving off a small smile.

They yep happily run back to their room to get ready. The boys are happy here. Happier than I've ever seen them on a Sunday afternoon. Maybe we should stay here. I could afford it with my job and I do have money saved up. Maybe we could go stay here while I find a more permanent home for the boys. Maybe it's time I stop depending on my parent's money. I could really be their parent all the way. Bills, love and support included.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Okay guys be good, remember crack is wack, hugs instead of drugs " I shout out to Iggy and Gazzy as they make their way to class pretending I'm not their embarrassing sister.

I pull my car out of the schools drive way and head to my school. Since we moved out I was responsible for taking the boys to school, which meant they had to get up earlier than usual so I wouldn't be late, but a part of me knew I would be late anyways.

I park my car locking it as I walk onto campus. I owned a 2011 midnight black Cadillac escalator. It's my dream car and I love it. I never thought I'd be able to fully pay off the car. I had to do lots of fights for that car. Gustavo's voice repeated it's self in my head _if you need the cash you can always go back to street fighting._

I use to do street fights back when we lived in east LA before the fire. I was the best of the best. I was undefeated at least until 'The Battle Slam'. That was the first fight I lost and my last. I was in such bad shape after the fight. I spent three months incautious in a hospital.

I woke up that day in the hospital to a crying sister lost without her older sister. I promised never to do anything that could hurt my siblings again. That included illegal fighting, street racing, and gangs. All of which I at some point was involved with.

Anyways I pull my short black leather jacket on followed by my sunglasses. I walk to my first period. I enter the room disrupting my teacher's lesion, all heads turn to me. I glare back at each one 'til they all turn away. Fang was the only one that held my glare. We stare at each other until the teacher holds out his hand for my slip holding my reason for being late. I shrug and shake his hand.

"DETENTION!" shouts at me.

I take my seat pulling out my iPod and listening to music. A few minutes later I'm hit by a paper air plane disrupting my game of 'Angry Birds'. I look around the room to see a thin white girl looking at me. She mouths 'Open it'. I unfold the air plane and read her message.

_That was funny _She had written.

I look back to her giving the back of her head a weird expression. Who was this girl? And why was she talking to me? Doesn't she know who I am? I feel Fang's eyes dart toward the note. I hide the note from his vision under my note book.

_Thanks? _I reply throwing the air plane back.

She read it and scribbled _so your Max right? I'm Jenifer Joy, but they call me J.J :) so you got detention. Need a buddy?_

When she threw the plane back she hit Fang in the eye. I stiffen a laugh, and quickly taking the note from his grasp.

_Um...sure. _I reply.

I don't know why, but I liked this girl. She seemed real, sweet, innocent. And God knows I need more innocent friends. I watch the girl raise her hand disrupting the teachers lecture.

"Yes Jenifer Joy?" The teacher says.

"You suck" J.J says.

"I beg your pardon" He says appalled.

"Sorry, but you may not have my pardon. Whatever that means." J.J boldly says.

I hear giggles go around the whole room. I stiffen a laugh too. She was good. I definitely liked her.

"Well Max, I guess you're going to have some company in detention today" He says landing a blue detention slip on JJ's desk.

"The more the merrier" I comment.

Looks at me like I'm the scum under his shoe, but ignores my comment. A second later J.J turns around and winks at me.

Fang turns to look at me but I pointedly ignore him. I slip on my ear phones blasting my music. I feel Fang's eyes burning holes in the side on my head but I keep staring out the window. Finally Fang sighs giving up and turns to the board.

I hate Study Hall. I was failing my science class so I had to take Study Hall. It sucked. I sit all alone at a table pretending to be reading my textbook now. That's another reason I don't really enjoy Study Hall everyone is too scared to sit by me. But today I'm thankful for my rep. I need time to think about what I'm going to do, how I'm going to do it.

I feel someone comes up from behind me and takes the seat by mine. I look up to find Fang sitting down looking at me. I turn back to my text book ignoring him.

"This seat taken?" Fang asks.

"Yes" I say sourly.

Can't this boy take a hint. I want to let him sit by me, to let him in, but I can't. Fang stays in the seat anyways still staring at me. I turn to my left looking at my science book trying my hardest to ignore him. After five minutes I turn only to find him still sitting there staring at me.

"Can I help you?" I ask rudely.

"Well now that you asked there is something" He says ignoring my tone of voice.

"Well were closed" I say turning back to my book.

"So I want to know, what's wrong with you?" He continues.

I stiffen but Fang continues "You're getting into a lot of trouble recently, coming in late, and just been acting weird towards me"

"Go away" I shout at him standing up.

"Just tell me what's wrong" He says his voice calm as he stands up too.

"How 'bout I tell you what's not wrong, much shorter list" I shout pushing him out of my way.

I run out of the hall into the fresh air. I don't know where I was running to, but I kept running, faster than I've ever ran in all my life. I need to get away.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I ran out into the middle of the soccer field. I don't know why I snapped, but I couldn't take it anymore. I need my sister here. I'm stupid forever thinking I could do this on my own. I should've done everyone a favor and stayed in that gang even when they made me deal drugs, or should've kept street racing even when my friend died in a crash, or should've stayed in street fighting even when I almost died. No one would miss me.

Someone lays a comforting hand on my shoulder. I was too caught up in my little break down that I didn't hear anyone follow me. I turn, whipping off my tears. I stare up at Fang as tears dare to spill, burning my eyes. He pulls me to his chest hugging my body close to his. I lay my head on his chest.

My tears fall soaking up his shirt. I cry for my sister who I could never find myself to cry for. For my parents who are so hurt and confused. For my brothers who live in an injustice world. For everything wrong in the world. But for the first time in such a long time for me.

Fang holds me though all my sobs without saying a word. He really is a good guy and he cares. I wrap my arms around him. I whip off my remaining tears turning to look up at Fang who is looking down at me.

"I'm sorry" I say looking down at his soaked tee shirt.

He doesn't respond, but just watches me. I guess he's waiting for me to explain. That's the thing I don't know if I can. He may be a good guy, who cares a lot about me, but no one has ever given me a good enough reason to trust anyone.

I stare up at him. His eyes swarm with worry, comfort, and an emotion I can't make out. If I'm ever going to trust people I guess I should start with him. The guy who ran after me even when he knew I might yell at him, the guy who held me in my time of need no questions asked. I suck in a deep breath, and turn inside of his arms so my whole body is facing him.

"I don't know where to start. Fuck, I don't even know what to say." I say sighing.

"You don't have to tell me" He says his lips still not smiling.

I frown a little by the way his face looks. I guess I really did scare him.

"I want to tell you" I whisper.

Fang sits patiently his arms still wrapped around my waist as I try to collect everything together.

"Last year on Christmas my parents went out for some last minute shopping. Not even an hour later" I start.

I suck in another breath and continue "The heater spontaneously bursted. There was a huge fire and it was spreading quickly. I instructed my sister to call 911 while I busted open a window shoving my brother through it."

I stop not knowing if I'd be able to finish, but feel Fang take my hand and give me an encouraging squeeze.

I continue "I turn around to lift my sister out, but she wasn't there. I saw the back of her rush out doors to our crying dog. She knocked down the back door saving the dog, but clasped before she could get out. I ran to her, but the firemen had arrived and one was carrying me out. I screamed for my sister."

I feel a fresh tear roll down my cheek as flashes of that day fill my mind. I hear all the screams. See all the blood. Feel the heat and dirt in the air. As if it had happened yesterday. Guess once you've been though what I have you never forget. At least the unlucky ones don't.

"My sister died that night after swallowing too many fumes. Everyone else was almost unharmed. My brothers both were lucky and had no broken bones. While I wasn't as fortunate. I broke my left shoulder. My brother Gazzy had passed out from being too scared while my other brother was too emotionally hurt to concentrate. I'm the only who didn't pass out during anything. I'm the only who knows the story from start to end" I say as another tear rolls down my cheek.

Fang brushes away my tear with his thumb and giving me an encouraging smile, but I see what laid behind it. He saw the sadness behind my story. My life.

"After that my parent's fights got worse and eventually my dad left. We all felt lost, forgotten, abandon. I felt the need to step it up. I bottled up all my emotions and put my mask on. I had to be there for them. My mom worked all day and cried all night. Every night I heard her and wished I could do something, but I had to ask myself am I going to take care of my brothers or my parents." I say not being able to look Fang in the eye.

"Just yesterday we ran away to a hotel. After yet another fight of my parents. We're going to stay there, at least for now. My brothers deserve better then parents who can't even take care of themselves." I say staring at the ground.

A silence falls on us as he takes it all in. I feel lighter somehow like the weight of it all be lifted off my shoulders.

His thumb lifts my chin so I have to look at him and says "You're the bravest, most unselfish, toughest person I've ever meet"

I feel my cheeks get hot, but stay silent.

"You know what? Want to show you something, come on" He says standing up and leading me into a hall holding on to my hand.

"Shouldn't I be the one leading? You are new." I joke smirking at him.

He shoves me playfully and says "Okay come inside" leading me into the music room.

"So you wanted to show me an empty music room? Wow, it look nice. I love the nothing in here. Really makes the room" I say sarcastically.

He flashes me a full blown smile and says "I want to play you something"

He pulls out an electric guitar and sits on a stool facing me.

"I didn't know you played" I comment.

"Well you never will if you keep talking" He says smirking at me.

I shoot him a playful glare just before he starts.

_**(Breathe by Ryan Star. Look it up it's amazing!)**_

_She is fine, most of the time_

_She takes her days with a smile_

_Most like a dancer in lies, spinning around to the sound_

_But sometimes she falls down_

_Breathe, just breathe_

_Take the world off your shoulders, put it on me_

_Breathe, just breathe_

_Let the life that you live be all that you need_

_She likes New York at night_

_She dreams of running away_

_Shine on, bright like the sun_

_When even the sky turns gray_

_I need you to hear me say_

_Breathe, just breathe_

_Take the world off your shoulders, put it on me_

_Breathe, just breathe_

_Let the life that you lived be all that you need_

_Let go of the fear_

_Let go of the time_

_Let go of the ones that try to put you down_

_You're gonna be fine_

_Don't hold it inside_

_If you hurt right now_

_Then let it all come out_

_Breathe, just breathe_

_Take the world off your shoulders, put it on me_

_Breathe, just breathe_

_Let the life that you live be all that you need_

"That's-that's beautiful" I shudder from his amazing voice as he finishes jumping off his stool.

"Reminds me of you" He says holding his guitar and then adds "And I mean what I sang"

"Breathe, Got it." I smile taking a deep breath in and out.

"No, I mean that you're not alone, you have me" He says his voice honest and his eyes fill with that emotion from before


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Max, you have a slip" My math teacher announced placing a yellow slip on my desk.

Damn, it was that grief group thing. I pack my notebook and pencil into my bag. I'm walking out of the class when Fang shoots me a worried look. It's so cute the way he worries about me. Imagine when he finds out I was tough gang leader, unbeatable street fighter, fast street racer Maximum Ride. He's gonna flip.

I shot him the tell-you-later look, and make my way out of class. I find my way to classroom B5. The window is tinted so you can't see inside. I open the door. Inside sat a dirty blond with green eyes guy, a dark girl younger than me with bright brown eyes, and a tan girl who look between me and the other girl's age with brown hair and a thin scare across her chest.

"Welcome, you must be Maxine our new member" an older women says now standing in front of me.

"It's Max." I say taking a seat.

"Before we start check in's how about we introduce our selves and who we lost." The lady said.

"Norris why don't you go first" The lady adds.

"Call me Paco. I lost my brother to his own gang during a drug deal." Paco says.

"Your Alexandra's Bro" I comment.

He looks at me this time as if he didn't really pay much attention to me before.

"How do you know him?" He whispers.

"He was a bud of mine back when I was working for The Eagles" I say admitting to my work with the east LA gang.

"I always liked Al. He always wanted to do better than O.G., original gangster. He always held hope, always said he was gonna get outta here save his bros' from the evils of the gang. You see Al only joined us to make sure you'd never have to choose between your future or your family's protection. He was strong, brave, and smart. One hell of a guy, but when Fuentes, the gang leader of that time, found out he was planning to leave the gang he blew a fuse. He ordered his own fellow gang members to kill him" I explain.

I see I have the whole room's attention so I keep going. "Everyone loved Al so no one really tried. Al didn't know about Fuentes intentions yet so Al didn't think twice when Fuentes ordered him to do a drug deal. He was shot during the deal. Alex was there when it happened. Alex shot Fuentes making me gang leader, but that's the past and this is the present." I finish.

Everyone in the room stares at me. I slouch in my chair as if to say 'I could care less'. I look into Paco to find him with understanding yet every sad eye. I turn to look at the dark girl next to him to find her eyes shadowing sympathy if not pity. The girl next to her wears horribly sad eyes like she felt the very pain he did.

"Okay, how about you go next Jennifer" The lady says.

"You know I prefer ma street name, Fly" The dark girl says.

Is it me or has everyone in this room somehow gotten involved with 'the streets'. I guess when you lose someone you do what everyone on the TV does because you don't know what else to do. I know that's how I felt.

But I wasn't like every other person in this room where they were either a druggie, a partier, an alcoholic, a illegal racer, a tough street fighter, or a gangster because I had done all of it.

I guess in trying it all I hoped there would be something that made me feel better, but they all did the same thing. They numbed you. They gave you a couple of blissful hours but they never cured you. No matter how fast you went, how much you drank, how high you were in a gang or how much you fights you won because at the end of the day your heart still ached even if could forget about it for a tiny bit.

The lady ignores her so Fly goes on "I lost my mother to suicide"

She looks at me as if to say 'You know her too?' in a snide attitude. I ignore her face and let her continue.

"My mom had bipolar disorder. She always goes from being happy to sad to whatever. One summer my sister and I went away to volleyball camp. She somehow decide that we didn't love her, and that she was alone in the world or at least that's what her suicide note said. She went to this beach she use to take us to before she was diagnosed, and hung herself" Fly says.

I relate to Fly in a lot of ways. Like the way she has her tough girl exterior. The way every mean thing someone says she takes a pang to the heart but pushes it back with her badass 'I don't give a shit' admitted.

"Thank you Jenifer how about you Miranda" The lady says.

"The names Lupita. I lost my two brothers and father in a car accident in 2010 . We were vacationing in Mexico during summer. I don't know how, but on our way to my grandparents' house the car somehow flipped. My mother went incautious so she doesn't remember anything and I was asleep." Lupita says holding in tears making her eyes red.

I give Lupita a sad smile. I see the whole room try to make her feel better. She gains her strength back, and whips off the tear on her cheek. The group acts like they felt her pain as if they were there for her for everything. Like a family.

"I almost forgot to introduce myself, I'm Penny" The lady says.

I nod and open my mouth to speak "I lost my sister to a house fire last year on Christmas eve." I finish keeping it brief because I still don't know if I can open myself up to these people.

"And how do you feel about that Max?" Penny asks carefully.

"I don't know. I guess like I'm alone, like she left me alone to fight the whole world without her" I say.

"Why don't we go around and say what we do to deal with our grief" Penny announces.

"I write music" Paco says but his eyes give him away.

He's done drugs to cover up how he feels about his brothers lost.

"Art" says Lupe.

Her arms give her away and I can tell she's done vandalism from the spray paint marks on my hands. Her pants also have a burn as if she had recently taken up smoking.

"Boxing" Fly says nonchalant.

I can tell this girl hits the gym every night punching the bag for everything wrong in her life.

"What about you Max?" Penny asks.

"Um... I use to drinking/party, gang, racing, street fighting. I think that's all." I say deciding to be straight up unlike everyone but Fly.

I look at everyone's stunned faces they see I'm not going to be like everyone else and lie.

"All I do now though is write. Helps me let go of everything." I tell them hopping they wouldn't have to go down the same road I did with figuring out what will really help you.

"You may have heard of me. My party name is China, my racing name is Dreamer, my friends nick name for me is Max M, and my gang leader name is Tyler" I say.

"Wow, thanks for sharing..Um..." Penny says struggling on what to call me.

"You can call me Max" I say.

Group ends at the same time as school. I walk over to my car. I find Fang leaning against my car waiting for me. He really is cute and unbelievable. I thought as soon as I opened up he would treat me differently, give me the very pity I hate, but he didn't. He treated me the same way he did when he first meet me.

"Hey" I say getting his attention from his hands.

He looks up at me with a crooked smile and replied "Hey you"

I smile at him.

"So you want to do something? We could go get ice cream" Fang nervously asks.

"Okay" I say laughing.

"But we have to go in your car because mines not as great" He says embarrassed.

I laugh at him, but hand him my keys, and get into the passenger's seat.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"So where are we going anyways" I ask turning to face him.

Fang glances at me a smile on his face. I playfully raise an eyebrow at his smile. His smile just gets bigger. God I love his smile. It could brighten anyone's day. Did I just say that? Wow, pretend you ever heard that. We are _just_ friends.

"Okay what are you smiling about?" I ask looking at him as he pretends to be very concentrated on driving.

"You look so cute when I mess around with you" He says his voice pure.

A hot pink blush creeps up on my cheeks and I turn away embarrassed. His hand reaches over moving my face to look at him. I let him move my face to face him.

"Your even cuter when you get embarrassed" He says letting out a small laugh.

I nervously laugh with him. I don't know why but ever since the day I opened up to him every time I look at him I feel butterflies in my tummy. I guess it's because he's one of the very few people who know who I am but except me anyways. But were just friends. Best friends.

"So are you going to tell me where were going?" I ask changing the subject.

"Nope" He says and then adds "because we're here" He says putting my car in park.

"And this is?" I ask sarcastically as I come out of the car.

"An ice cream shop my brother owns" Fang says walking over to the other side of the car to meet me.

"I didn't know you had a brother" I comment walking along side of him.

"There's a lot you don't know" He replies as he opens the door of the shop.

"Well we are going to have to change that huh?" I say shoulder bumping him playfully.

He shots me a playful smile just as a guy shouts "Fang!"

Fang's brother jumps the counter coming over. Fang smiles at his brother as he makes his way over. The give each other a 'Manly' hug.

"Aye Dylan" Fang greets.

Dylan looks behind his brothers shoulders. He stares at me like he knows me. He looks familiar but I can't place him. I stand shy behind Fang.

"Oh I almost forgot. Max, my brother Dylan. Dylan, Max" Fang introduces us.

"It's nice to meet you" I say holding out my hand to shake.

He grabs my hand, but pulls me into a big bear hug. After letting me down he goes over to his brother and places an arm around his shoulders.

"You sure can pickle bro." He comments.

"Oh no she's not my girlfriend, just my friend" Fang says little blush on his cheeks.

Dylan looks at us as if he didn't believe us and says "Whatever you say bro"

"That's it!" I comment just as I remember where I know Dylan from.

Fang and Dylan look at each other than both turn to stare at me.

"Now I remember where I know you from" I explain looking at Dylan.

"I'm sorry but" He starts but I cut him off.

"Don't tell me you don't member me? Get outta of here. It's China. Member?" I say.

**(FYI Max's nickname is not China the place and is pronounced ch-e-na it stands for 'curly' in Spanish)**

"China? Oh China!" He says remembering me.

"I thought I knew you from somewhere. It's been so long. I never see you there anymore. What happened to you? How's it been?" Dylan says pulling me into another tight hug.

"You know here and there" I say and relies that Fang has no idea what we're talking about.

I open my mouth to explain but Dylan's faster "China's like a sister to me. We use to hang out all the time back in L.A."

I smile at him as Fang says "Oh"

Dylan clasps a hand over both of our shoulders and says "So who wants ice cream!"

"Who would have thought the unbelievable, untamable, wild Dylan from back when would own an ice cream shop" I comment.

"Oh well you know." He says.

"We always held high hopes for you" I tease.

"Wait till you find out I steeled down" He says serving us Ice cream.

"No way! You use to have a different girl every week" I say stunned.

"Guess it just took someone he loves to get him whipped" Fang comments.

"Very funny but just you wait till you fall in love then we'll see how whipped you'll be" Dylan says to Fang.

"Okay" Fang says.

"And China remember when you do fall for a guy the gangs and I still gotta check him out for you first" Dylan says like the big brother he always acted like to me.

"As long as you don't scare him too much" I reply making Dylan laugh.

I can't believe Fang is Dylan's brother. Dylan use to hang out with me almost all the time at parties. His girlfriend of the week would always get mad when he would chose to hang with me instead of her. It was always so funny. But I never liked Dylan more than a brother though. He was just a really good bud.

"I can't believe Dylan's your brother. How come you never told me?" I ask as Dylan goes in the back to take a call.

"You never asked" Fang says looking at me.

"Well if we have to ask to know things I guess we'll never know anything" I argue like the smart ass I am.

I turn to glance at Fang to see him smiling at me playfully.

"Okay then how about a game. You tell me something about you and I tell you something about me. Deal?" Fang offers.

"Alright" I say just as Dylan comes back in.

"Aye Fang Carmen just called and she needs me to get her something. Take care of the shop while I'm gone?" Dylan says and then adds looking at me "It was nice seeing you again China, I'll see you later?"

"You can't get rid of me that easily" I reply making Dylan crack up.

"Sure Bro and tell her I say hi" Fang says as Dylan leave the store.

"Guess we have the whole store to ourselves. You know what that means?" Fang says. I stare at him like 'Wtf?'

"It means we can start our game!" He shouts like a five year old.

I laugh at him and say "You first"

"Okay umm I have two older brothers Dylan 23 and Sam 21" Fang starts.

"Alright I have two younger brothers Gazzy 6 Iggy 13" I share with him but then add "Wait Sam? The guy who could chug ten Patrons in three minutes without passing out? Omg! How is he?"

"Do you know all of my family?" Fang asks.

"Kinda, I can't believe I never meet you though. I was always with those two. Weird."

"My brothers always brought home girls so I never really paid attention." Fang explains.

"Okay moving on, back to the game. Your turn" I say

"Okay umm when I was younger I use to walk around the house naked after a bath because I hated close" He says looking at his hands embarrassed.

I laugh so hard I'm clutching the side of my stomach.

"Stop laughing" Fang says holding in his own laughter.

"I'm-I'm sorry. It's just so funny" I say trying to control my laughter.

"Okay little your turn" Fang says.

I think about telling him about the time I was puked on but my mind keeps wanting to tell him about more important things.

"You know that ex-gang leader of the Eagles." I ask.

"Tyler, Right?" Fang response and then adds "Wait you knew him huh?"

"Nope. I was her. I was Tyler" I confess.

"Wow." He says.

"Alright you win. That totally tops my naked after shower story" He adds playfully.

I laugh at him and share "After the fire I did a lot of things I'm not really proud of, but they made me who I am today."

"I partied all night long. I fought in illegal street fights. I raced in illegal street races. I also joined a gang and ended up the leader" I admit.

Fang stares at me for a long time. After a while I can't even bare to look at him. My eyes drop as if I was suddenly ever interested in my hands.

"You can so beat my ass" Fang says.

"What?" I ask confused looking up at him.

"I bet you could totally kick my ass" Fang repeats.

"Wait you're not scared or mad or something?" I ask still very confused.

"Why would I be? It's not like you do that anymore." He says.

"But...everyone...they always" I say not being able to finish.

"What? Run? Max when are you going to understand I'm not like everyone. Your still that smart ass, funny, strong, caring, laid back girl I meet in first period on my first day and you always will be." Fang says crushing me into a hug.

"Thanks" I whisper.

"No prob" He says shooting me a small smile.

"By the way I bet you could beat my ass any day" I comment.

"No way. Who knows how many grown men you've beat up. I am a complete pussy compared to you."

"I'm not that tough. You could so beat me up" I say.

"Well we will just have to find out huh?" He says smiling at me.

"Maybe another day. I gotta get home." I say.

"Come on, let's get you home" He says as we walk to the parking lot.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I hate first period. I swear if Fang wasn't in my class I would die. I was in the middle of doodling my famous 'Rose de el Amor', a giant rose I doodled a long time ago that people loved, when a folded paper note slides in front of me.

I turn to Fang, my only friend in this class, and say "Dude I'm right here you know we can just talk"

"Just read the note" He says staring at the board as if he wasn't talking to me.

"Why?" I ask stubbornly

"Just read the note. Please...for me" He begs giving me the puppy dog face.

"Cute." I say sarcastically.

"Shut up, you love me" He says smirking at me.

"Unfortunately" I say sarcastically as I open the note.

The note only to read _Hey:)_

I turn to look at Fang as if to say 'and this was so important'. He just smiles and mouths 'Reply'. I mouth back 'Fine' pulling out my navy blue pen.

_Hello Even an Important Note!_ I write sarcastically.

_Gosh, this is what I get for saying hello_ He replies shouting me a crooked smile.

_Shut it, you love me_ I say using his line against him.

_Yupp I do _He replies smiling at me.

_So what did you want again? _I ask trying to avoid the butterflies from taking over my tummy and the blush that was sure to cover my cheeks.

_Oh yeah that I wanted to ask you something_ He wrote looking at me like he was nervous.

_Okay ask away_ I reply giving him an encouraging smile.

I swear ever since I've meet Fang I smile and laugh so much it's amazing my cheeks aren't swollen and my throat is sore. Maybe cheeks and throats don't work that way, hm? Anyways I'm getting off topic.

_Alright, sorry this is kinda hard to say _He writes looking frustrated.

_You mean write, but just spill. It can't be worse than the naked story _I reply in an effort to make him smile.

He does for a spilt second, but before I can smile back he's frowning again. I don't know what he's going to ask, but if it's that hard he should just come out with it.

_No it's not bad in that way, but it could ruin our friendship...Maybe_ He writes.

As I read his reply I look up at him to meet his eyes. They swarm with devotion to ask me whatever he wants to ask me but also fear of what's at stake. Theirs another emotion in his eyes but I can't make out. The emotion is stronger than the other two put together.

_I don't think anything could ruin it _I reply honestly.

_Maximum Ride will you be my girlfriend?_ He wrote looking at me.

I feel my eyes widen and my mouth fall open in surprise. I was so not expecting that. I quickly collect myself. He has to be joking. Maybe he's just trying to get back at me for the 'unfortunately' thing. I mean come on were best buds, he can't be serious! I really like Fang like more than I ever thought I could like anyone, but I don't think I could be with him without somehow messing it up.

_Okay maybe I was wrong, _I write knowing I would somehow mess it up and then add, _Come on, you can't really be serious_

_I've never been so serious in all my life._ He replies.

I turn to glance at him before replying. His face has all emotion locked away but his eyes give him away. He's looking at me with completely serious. I don't think I've ever seen someone be so serious.

_But why? _I reply and then add_ Your Fang Garcia hottest guy at our school! Why would u want to go out with me?_

_U don't get it Max. U don't see how smart, funny, beautiful, and just plain old great you are. _He replies making a light pink blush appear on my cheeks.

_To be truthful I like you a lot. I get butterflies every time I see you, your smile makes my day, I may even like you too much but I don't know if I believe in love Fang _I reply completely honest.

_I will admit we have something, something big and strong but I don't wanna end up like my parents_ I add.

_Max I'd never let what happened with your parents happen with us. That I promise you, don't u trust me? _He replies.

Fang is such an amazing guy. He truly is, and I love him more than anything. But am I willing to give up the tiny bit of good in my life for the small chance that I might end up happy. The answer is I don't know, but what I do know is that I trust him.

_I trust you more than I have anyone in my life _I write and then add _but I don't wanna get hurt._

_Then be mine Maximum Ride, you know I'll never hurt you _He pleads.

_Okay_ I write giving in.

Maybe my story is coming to an end. Maybe I do get a Happy Ever After, like those girls in the fairy tales. I don't know if I believe in that, or if I believe in a god, or anything really, but I know I believe in Fang and what we share. I know I believe that what we share is more than enough for me to feel confident that maybe we will end up happy.

_You will?_ He replies looking at me with the biggest smile I've ever seen on him.

I watch as the emotion I couldn't place from before take over his eyes and I finally see it. It was love. Even back when he pulled me out of that fight he loved me even if back then it wasn't as strong as now. I can't believe I never saw it before. He always hide his emotions, but his eyes were an open book for me. I can't believe I never recognized that emotion in his eyes before.

As realization washes over me I smile back at him and say out loud "Yeah, I will"

The bell rings and we both stand up following the class outside. Fang takes hold my hand entwining our fingers. I think of how my hand fits perfectly into his as I walk alongside him down the hall. Some girls are glaring at me while others point and whisper, while some look as if they want to say 'Aww'.

"Hey you're going the wrong way. Class was down that way" Fang says using his free hand to point down the other direction of the hall.

"I know" I say and keep walking down the same hall.

"So we're not going to second period huh?" He says looking down at me.

"Yupp" I reply popping the 'P'.

He smirks down at me while I smile up at him. I lead him to the music room which is only used for band practice third period. Fang raises an eyebrow shouting me a questioning look.

"A couple of days ago you dedicated a song to me that reminded you of me well this song reminds me of you" I say going to sit by the piano.

Fang smiles at me taking the seat next to me. He releases my hand and places it around my shoulders. I crack my figures ready to start. I start by replacing the soft guitar solo with a peaceful piano solo.

_When I was younger, I saw, my daddy cry and curse at the wind_

_He broke his own heart, and I watched as he tried to reassemble it_

_And my mama swore that, she would never let herself forget_

_And that was the day that I promised, I'd never sing of love if it does not exist_

_But darling.._

_You are the only exception_ (x4)

_Maybe I know, somewhere, deep in my soul that love never lasts_

_And we've got to find other ways to make to make it alone, or keep a straight face_

_And I've always lived like this, keeping a confortable distance_

_And up until now, I had sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness_

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk_

_You are the only exception_ (x4)

_I've got a tight grip on reality, but I can't_

_Let go of what's in front of me here_

_I know your leaving in the morning when I wake up_

_Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream_

_You are the only exception (x4)_

_And I'm on my way to believing_

I finish my song and turn to look at Fang. There's a tear sliding down his cheek. I kiss off the tear away feeling the cold salty taste against my lips. Fang turns to look at me. He slowly moves closer and closer to my face until our lips are just centimeters apart.

I close the space between us. His lips feel soft against mine. His arms snake around my waist as mine entangle in his hair. Our kiss goes from hungry to lustful passion. Only one thought passes through my brain dead head and that is 'I could stay like this forever'. His arms feel like home to me and I know I'll never get tired of being surrounded by her arms.

I pull back out of breath but Fang's lips never leave my skin. His lips travel from my lips to my neck. I pull his mouth back to mine. Finally after a long kiss or a short make out session, which ever you prefer, we both pull back.

"That-that" I say trying to form words for how great it was.

"Was amazing" Fang finishes for me smiling at me.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Most teenagers my age live for the weekend but for me it's a living hell that comes every five days. I mean I'm not in love with school, I don't even like to learn, but at least at school I don't have to care what anyone thinks or anything. Plus I have Luis at my side all day long.

It feels so weird to think of Fang as my boyfriend. He's so different from my past boyfriend besides the fact that he's not an asshole he doesn't call me 'Babe', which I love because the word 'babe' reminds me of a pig. Yeah, don't ask it's a long story. The only real difference between being his girlfriend and being his best female friend is I get to kiss him whenever I want, which I love to do , and he holds my hand.

Fang is the best guy I could ever dream of. He's the guy I never would have thought existed. He's the guy who can make me feel so safe in his arms, who when we kiss I feel so powerful, who when he smiles at me I melt. I never thought I'd fall in love. I didn't even think I could.

All my life I was taught to believe that love only happens to the lucky people. That no one ever gets a 'happy ever after'. That with so much bad in the world their couldn't be a God up there somewhere. I never thought there'd ever even be a person to even make me think twice about what I believe, but Fang he changed my whole look on the world.

Anyways today was the horrible, terrible, haunting Saturday. I guess this Saturday wasn't as bad as past. Mostly because the boys were at friend's house and I wasn't surrounded by the very people who made me hold the world on my shoulders, but after so many horrible weekends I can't even be happy on the weekend. I've grown into a habit of creeping around the house as quite as a mouse that I can't help but do the same at a motel all by myself.

My brothers along with I are in serious need of a shopping spree. But I haven't had enough left over money after paying the rent to go shopping. My only choice was to sneak into the house and steal some clothes for the boys. Today would be my only chance to try to sneak out some close I while my parents are busy fighting..

I get up from my bed walking lazily to my bathroom. I brush moose into my tangle of curls. I wash my face and put on some black eye liner and mascara. After I brush my teeth I go out to my backpack. I pull out my last clean pair of dark jeans along with my last lacy white tank top and my already been washed so many times short black leather jacket. I dig to the bottom of my bag for my old pair of converse.

Iggy and Gazzy would need a ride home at two in the afternoon. I had already spoken to Iggy's friend's mother and she said she would drop them off half way at Wal-Mart because she lives far away. I pull out my phone to text Iggy.

_Hey Iggy I'm goin' out to get us some close in case of emergency I got my cell okay? Be good(: ~Max_

I send the text and get a text back.

_Okay Max and Gazzy says 'Hi Max'_

_P.s. Don't think I don't know where you're going, be careful_

I quickly read the text as I get into my care and reply:

_Aren't I always? ;)_

I throw my phone into my bag starting my car. I check the time, 8:06 AM, they should be up and fighting by now. I start my car letting the engine start up properly. I check my mirrors and drive out of the parking lot. I turn on the radio to my favorite radio station. The song 'Family Portrait' by P!nk plays on my radio. I love that song because it always reminds me of my family and makes me feel that I'm not alone, there are people who feel as I do, people who may even have it worse than me.

I pull into the driveway of my mother to the sound of loud shouts. Going through the back door and sneaking through my window, like I've done so many times before, passes my mind but what better way to say 'Fuck you!' than to go through the front door. An evil smile covers my face, but vanishes because I know I can't walk in with an evil smile.

I throw open the front door. Two pairs of dark irritated and pissed off eyes turn to me, but quickly turn back and shouts get louder. I feel the habit of just shrinking away to my room to hide kick in, but I push it to the back of my mind and remind myself I don't have to be afraid. I don't need them for anything anymore.

I can't even make out the words there shouting over each other but I feel something take over me. It may be the fact I don't have the boys to see my yell or that I have Fang to talk to but my heart tells me it has to be the knowledge that I _know _I'm not the only one who has to deal with what I do. It's the Greif Group.

"Shut the fuck up already!" I shout at them my jaw clenched hands in fists my stances powerful.

They both look over at me with surprised faces. Both of them open there mouths to shout back but do first.

"I am sick and tired of having to be the fucking parent! Of having to deal with you guys not being able to fucking grow up! I hide in my fucking room with my brothers at my side every night you guys fight! Do you know what I should be doing on a Saturday? I should be out with friends! But what friends do I have? None and it's your fault. You guys make me so scared to even let anyone a fraction of an inch inside" I shout at them with all my might but in Spanish.

With every word I shout I feel a tiny bit of relief on my shoulders like I've finally found the strength to give them a piece of my mind. My words over flow with venom with emotions so strong.

"I am scared shit less that one day I'll end up the you. I live every fucking day wanting hoping that one day I'll have my happy ever after or that maybe that I won't fucking kill myself before I even get a real fucking chance to live my life. I see my brothers and want to give them everything you never did! But you know what we don't fucking need you anymore! We never did." I shout out of breath in Spanish to them.

I shout my death glare at them daring them to say something to fight with me. My mom looks at me but says nothing. My dad's the first to open his mouth. I half expected an apology but I'll get that when panda's rule the world.

"We are your parents and you will not talk to us that way" He says with a bad Spanish accent in English.

"You know what? You're not my fuckin' parents. Real parents ask you how school was, they help you with your homework, they tell you bed time stories, they do the exact opposite of what you guys have done for us since Angel passed away" I say.

Both my parents open there mouths to speak but I beat them.

"I'm done. You lost your daughter Angel a year ago, but you just lost all of us today." I say leaving the house.

No one runs after me as I start the car but no shouts fill my ears either. I drive out of the street as fast as I can not wanting anyone to see the tears that dared to spill from my eyes. I hate bring up my sister in fights. It hurts so much more when I do.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I don't think anyone could make me feel good right now, but I know one person who I would really like to talk to, Fang. I pull out my phone calling him.

"Hello?" Fang answers.

"Hey, I need to talk to you. You busy?" I ask.

"No I'm not, why? What's wrong?" Fang replies.

"Meet me at my hotel" I say and hang up.

I know my voice will betray me and crack if I stay on the line any longer.

I make my way back to my hotel. I park my car brushing off a single tear. I check the parking lot for Fang's car. I spot Fang's car parked three cars down from mine. I take a deep breath walking inside. I find Luis waiting outside my room.

Fang runs over to me as soon as he sees me. My eyes sting with painful tears, but I hold them back. Now was not the time to cry. Fang holds my face with his hands and looking at me as if he was reading my eyes. I look into Fang's eyes only to find my same emotions reflecting in his.

"What's wrong?" He whispers still holding my face.

"Come inside" I say.

We walk into my room going over to sit on the couch. I stare out the window trying to think of a way to start. Time passes and no one says a word.

"I'm sorry it's just so hard to start" I say.

He gives me an encouraging smile as if to say 'Take your time'.

I walk over to the living room piano and say "I want to sing you a song that reminds me of my parents"

Fang nods walking over to sit by me.

_I will not make, the same mistakes that you did_

_Will not let myself cause my heart so much misery_

_I will not break, the way you did_

_You fell so hard_

_I've learned the hard way, to never let it get that far_

_Because of you,_

_I never stay too far from the sidewalk_

_Because of you,_

_I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt_

_Because of you,_

_I find it hard to trust not only me but everyone around me_

_Because of you, I am afraid_

_I lose my way and it's not too long before you point it out_

_I cannot cry because I know that's weakness in your eyes_

_I'm forced to fake a smile a laugh every day of my life_

_My heart can't possibly break when it wasn't even whole to start with_

_Because of you,_

_I never stay too far from the sidewalk_

_Because of you,_

_I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt_

_Because of you,_

_I find it hard to trust not only me but everyone around me_

_Because of you, I am afraid_

_I watched you die_

_I heard you cry every night in your sleep_

_I was so young you should've known better than to lean on me_

_You never thought of anyone else_

_You just saw your pain_

_And now I cry in the middle of the night_

_Gonna send a feel_

_Because of you,_

_I never stay too far from the sidewalk_

_Because of you,_

_I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt_

_Because of you,_

_I try my hardest just to flunk at everything_

_Because of you,_

_I don't know how let anyone else in_

_Because of you,_

_I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty_

_Because of you, I am afraid_

_Because of you(X2)_

I'm out of breath from all the passion in my voice from the song. As I come to an end on the piano Fang places a hand over me. I can't help but let the tears escape. I mold into him holding him close to me. We stay like that for hours in a confortable silence until my phone beeps reminding me no matter how hard I try the world still goes on. It's a message from Paul saying they've been ready for a while and that where was I.

"Shit." I repeat running around the room looking for my keys.

"What?" Fang asks.

"I was so caught up in my shit I forgot about my brothers. Fuck, have you seen my keys?" I say.

Fang dangles my keys in front of my face. I get my keys running over to my bag for a jacket.

"Aye I almost forgot, your coming so hurry up." I say walking down the hall.

Fang jogs to catch up to me and asks "Why?"

"Well regular people have their boyfriends meet their parents, but in my case you must meet my brothers. Which in my opinion is much worse." I say.

I see Fang's eyes shadow a bit of fear.

"Oh yeah, there really tough. My thirteen year old brother will beat your ass if you even look at him wrong" I add sarcastically.

I giggle escapes my lips as he sees I was joking. He glares at me playfully as I buckle in. Rain starts to trickle on my window as I start the car.

"Buckle in, you're about to find out why I was the fastest racer in east L.A." I say.

Before Fang and turn and question me were off at 126 m/h. I watch from the corner of my eye as Fang clutches his seat with all his might. Adrenaline fills my veins from the long ago pump of racing. I push the car to go faster. It's not my Salween 57 Twin Turbo but It's fast enough.

I make a sharp turn on Main and say "Almost there"

Fang's face washes over with relief. I slow the car down as I come close to the house. I stop my car in front of the house honking the horn. Two dark figures jog towards the car.

"Hey look, the sky's clearing up" I comment.

"How did we not crash? We were going at 120 m/p and it was raining!" Fang asks.

"I guess Mother Nature respects her fellow racers and decided not to kill us" I answer nonchalant.

"Max who's is he?" Gazzy asks me.

Iggy was always use to my having my party, racer, or fighter friends with me, but Gazzy wasn't.

"I'm Fang. Max's..." He starts, but glances over at me as if to ask 'do they know?'.

"He's my boyfriend" I state.

I see Iggy's face scrunch up in his protective brother like way as Gazzy starts to chant 'Max has a boyfriend that she'll never see again'. Fang shouts me a questioning look as Gazzy continues to repeat the chant.

"Bart says that to Lisa in 'The Simpsons Movie' when she has to leave behind her boyfriend. He says that to all my male friends" I explain turning on the car.

I watch as Fang clutches his seat again. Iggy lets out a small laugh.

"I'm guessing you've experienced Maximum Ride's driving" Iggy says laughing.

Fang stares at him as if trying to say 'You're not scared?'. Which only makes Iggy laugh more.

"Don't worry, she never drives like that with Gazzy in the car" Iggy explains.

"Hey! I never drive like that with both of you" I object.

"You did once" Iggy says.

"I had to be somewhere. It was important" I argue

That night I had been picking up Iggy from soccer practice when Gustavo had texted me saying Alexandro was shoot by Fuentes and that Fuentes was in Jail. It was important I was there to make sure no other gang members were hurt or could go to jail since I was second in command.

"Okay" Iggy says not really caring.

"So what happened today?" Fang asks trying to make conversation with the boys.

"I drew a picture of a dog with Drew" Gazzy says.

"Mom called" Iggy says.

I stop the car from the surprise making everyone in the car jolt forward.

"Sorry. What did you say Iggy?" I ask.

"I said mom called. She said that if we don't come home she'll report us to the police and they'll take us back" Iggy says nonchalant to hide the fear in his voice from Gazzy.

"Okay" I say same as Iggy.

Fang looks at me and already knows it's not okay. His eyes show sympathy as he gives me a weak smile. I keep driving towered the hotel. I glance at him to find him thinking. All of a sudden his eyes go wide as if he had an idea.

"Why don't we take Iggy and Gazzy to Pizza Palace" Fang suggests knowing we needed something to take our minds of going home.

I smile at Fang and making a U-turn to the Pizza place.


	16. Chapter 16

**N/A Going to be a LONG time til i update _U_**_**NL****ESS**_** i get LOTS & LOTS of reviews!**

Chapter 16

"Thanks again" I say.

"For?" He asks looking genuinely confused.

"For being the amazing person you are" I reply taking a bite of my pepperoni pizza.

"Well than your very welcome" He replies smiling at me.

I smile back at him. I cast my eyes to the boys, who are playing in the ball pit. I glance around the Pizza Palace. I find someone looking at my brothers with a weird face. I concentrate on their features. He looks so familiar yet like he was a small part of my past.

I lock eyes with him and immediately know it's Jack. He doesn't seem to figure out it's me and goes back to looking at my brothers with the same face I probably had when I was trying to figure out how I knew him.

"Duck!" I whisper to Fang pushing him down with me under the table.

"What?" He asks looking at me with alarm.

"See that guy over by the soda machine?" I ask sneaking a glance back to him.

"Yeah, what about him?" Fang asks trying to get up.

I push him back down.

"His names Jack. He was the gang leader of the Wolves the arch enemy of my old gang. We use to fight head to head, but it was always just gang related. At least that was until I got into a gang fight with his girlfriend of the time, Morgan Griffin, long story short she ended up in the hospital. Later on no girl would go out with him because they thought being his girl would be dangerous. Jack swore he'd have his revenge on me for 'ruining' his life." I explain.

"I bet he doesn't even remember. It's been so long" Fang says trying to get up again.

I push him back down again with more force this time.

"When your girlfriends in a coma for six months and every girl looks at you with a dirty face every time they see you, you never forget" I say.

"I don't know if I should be attracted to you or scared of you" Fang comments completely under estimating my alarm.

"He's been to prison, no one knows what he could have on him. He could kill me!" I say mostly to myself.

I glance back to the ball pit eyeing my brothers. Fang follows my eyes and knows what the real problem is. I need to get my brothers out_ safe_. Worry lines cover my forehead as I fail to come up with a plan.

"Okay, how about I get out with your brothers and you sneak past him, meet you in the car?" Fang suggest.

"Okay. Go quick." I agree.

I watch as Fang hurries over to the ball pit practicably shoving my brothers out. He whisper something in there ear. My brothers walk over to the door with Fang trying their best to not look around for the enemy. I turn away to glace at Jack. I find him eyeing them suspiciously. Fang and my brothers make it out, but they're too late Jack has already recognized them. Jack makes his way out of the Pizza place with me secretly on his heels.

"Where's Tyler!" Jack demands calling me by my gang name in the parking lot at Fang as he pushes my brother into the car.

"I don't know a 'Tyler' " Fang says as he locks the doors standing outside the car.

"Tell me where Tyler is or I'll shoot" He threatens pulling out a 57 original pistil.

"I'm right here" I say from behind Jack.

He turns quickly knowing better than to have your back turned to your enemy.

"So we meet again" He says an evil smile plastered on his face as brushes his thumb over his gun.

"Sadly" I remark giving him my drop dead glare.

"You know I never appreciated your smart alack remarks" He says looking down at his gun.

He pretending to be cleaning his gun with his shirt as if I wasn't even worth looking at when talking to.

"Too bad I never cared nor will I ever" I say venom in my every word.

"Now that's not the welcome I was expecting" He says his voice sounding more evil with every word as he ignoring my question.

"So tell me, how does a scum bag like you ever get out of prison?" I ask already in my battle stance.

That's something I learn on my first gang fight. One never under estimate the enemy, Two always expect the unexpected, Three pain is just a message.

"Now, now Tyler why don't you want to play nice and maybe I won't killed?" He says as if he was talking to a baby and then adds "At least not today"

"Now who said I was nice? and don't you worry about me. I don't plan on die-ing any time soon" I snarl.

"Oh Max you'll never win. I'm too smart for you" He says calm.

His thumb figures the trigger and in a flash I watch him release it. The bullet flies towards me at lighting speed. I push myself to fall backwards balancing on my left hand. I feel the bullet buzz a centimeter by my ear. I push my self back up so I'm standing.

"I told you. Die-ing. Is. Not. On. The. Agenda!" I shout running full speed towards him.

I send a round house kick to his chest making him stumble trying to regain his balance. I follow with powerful punches to the weak spots in his face. I send bone breaking drop kick to his left leg making him fall back first on the concrete parking. I straddling his waist sending repeated blows to his ribs until I feel bone break from under me. I stand up, but so does he. He throws a punch to my left cheek that was sure to leave a bruise.

"Now I'm mad!" I shout at him.

I send repeated round house kicks to his chest until he's on the floor passed out. I kick dirt at him and say "I win."

I climb into the passenger seat of my car as if nothing. I feel everyone in the car burning hole in my head with their eyes. The most powerful stare come from Fang, but I'm not in the mood.

"Let's go home" I say.

I close my eyes waiting for the car to start, but it doesn't. I turn to look at Fang who is still staring at me with a swarm of different emotions in his eyes.

"Let's go home, please" I repeat.

Fang starts the car involuntary. I glance back at Iggy and Gazzy on the car ride home. Iggy's face reads 'We are so going to talk about this later, but good job'. Gazzy's face reads 'Way to kick butt Max!'. I smile at Gazzy while giving Iggy a nervously.

Everyone is quite on the way home. All of us walk up to our hotel room.

"We're going to bed" Iggy announces walking to his bedroom with Gazzy.

"Night" I shout back.

I look over to Fang. We lock eyes. I feel myself get lost in his rich brown eyes. We stare into each others eyes not being able to move.

"You wanna spend the night?" I ask looking away from his intense eyes.

"Sure" He replies.

I walk into my bedroom slipping on my midnight blue Pj shorts and navy blue tank top. I turn around to spot Fang sliding his shirt off revealing his oh so sexy eight pack. I feel my eyes pop out of their sockets and my mouth hang wide open. I make myself look away from his chiseled abs to Fang's face only to find him smirking.

"Like the show?" He asks going over to lay on my bed.

"I don't know, you?" I ask crossing my arms as if I was stretching making my boobs look even bigger.

I watch as Fang's eyes drop down to my chest, but then will themselves to look up at my face. A smirk covers my face.

"Shut up and come over here already" Fang says.

I walk over to the bed snuggling up to Fang as he spoons me. Our feet get tangled together.

"Max will you go on a date with me?" Fang whispers into my ear.

"What?" I ask turning around still wrapped in his arms.

"Will you go on a date with me?" Fang asks seriously.

I start to laugh.

"A simple no would have been great" Fang says moving away from me.

"No, no I laughed because it's a silly question" I say.

Fang looks at me confused. Gosh he's always confused. He's lucky he's cute.

"I'm already your girlfriend. So what would make you think I'd say no?" I explain pulling his arm over me.

I cuddle into his chiseled chest as he smiles down at me and I smile up at him.


	17. Chapter 17

**N/A Remember 'Eva' is like Max's Ella the only reason her name is 'Eva' is because I used Ella as Iggy's younger crush so yeah! **

Chapter 17

Fang was diffrent from all the guys I've ever meet so I didn't know what to expect as a first date. I guess I'm not your usual movie and dinner type of gal so he had to have put in a lot of thought into our date. Maybe that's why he didn't ask me on a date when we first started to go out, he wanted to make it special.

I had caught Iggy and Fang texting befire but neither of them would tell me about what. My guess was that Iggy was helping him plan our date. I guess in normal cases he would be sneaking around to ask my best friend what he should plan, but my friends are all so diffrent and they all see diffrent sides of me so it wouldn't work.

Eva and Nudge slept over last night so they could help me get ready. Their the only friends of mine that know I ran away. Speaking of running away Nudge offered to drop off my brothers at my mom's house tonight beacuse of my mothers threat. It's a sad thought to think our little vacation is about to come to an end.

"So tell us where is he taking you?" Nudge asked going through the shopping bags full of new clothes Eva bought me.

"He won't tell me" I say and then add putting my hands in quotes "It's a secret"

"Ugh, but we need to know where your going to know what you have to wear" Eva exaderated.

"We'll have to be safe and go with the sexy ripped up black skinny jeans" Nudge exsplaines thorwing me the ripped skinny's.

"And the short white shoulder shirt that has says 'Latina's do it better' in hot pink and shows off your belly button pericing" Eva concludes thorwing me the shirt.

"Ooo it even shows off your black rose tattoo on your shoulder blade" Eva says as I turn showing them how I look.

"I don't know. I haven't even told him about the tattoo or the percing" I say looking at myself in the mirror.

"Didn't you say you changed infront of him just last night?" Nudge argues.

"Yeah, but he didn't see it. He was too busy changing" I explain.

"Well better now than never" Eva counters.

"I guess" I say sitting down so the girls could do my hair.

"Okay now should we strighten your hair or curl it?" Nudge comments.

"Be safe strighten it" Eva replies.

Two hours laters I was finally done. I wore the black skinnys and the white shoulder shirt with my black and white nikes. They put earthy eye shadow with black eyeliner and a tiny bit of mascara. My hair was straightened making my hair go down to the middle of my chest.

"Done!" Nudge and Eva say simotaniously as Eva finished my lip gloss.

_Ding Dong_ The door bell rang as Eva and Nudge were finished.

Eva and Nudge shared a look and then glanced at me. I sent them a questioning look but they ignored me. A second later they ran out my bedroom door to who knows where. I open the door of my bedroom standing in the hall way to stay unseen.

"Hey Fang" Eva and Nudge greet simotaniously.

It's funny how alike thoes two can be at times considering how diffrent they can be. See Nudge knows everything there is to know about my illigal side while sweet Eva knows the more emotional side of me. They're like my ying and yang. Two completely diffrent people who work together to keep me sane.

"Wassup girls" Fang greets back knowing he must not only win me but my girls too.

"Hey Fang" Iggy greets Fang.

"Hi Iggy, Hi Gazzy" Fang replies.

"Okay well let's get this show on the road" Nudge says.

"Now presenting the new and improved Maximum Ride" Eva and Nudge announce together as my que to come out from behind the wall.

I feel so nervouse walking out from behind the wall. Everything in my body tells me to run to my room and hide, but when I caught sight of Fang, my body stopped responding to my head and listened to my heart for once. I took slow steps glancing down at my shoes with great intrest to hide the hot pink blush that covered my face from Fang as I make my way into the living room. I sneak a glance at him to find him with wide eyes. I feet my cheecks get hotter than before but lift my head with a little more confedence.

I finally reach Fang after what felt like forever. I feel the need to hide my face in his chest as he wraps an arm around my waist. Wow! Who would have thought I would be saying that just a month ago. Hm, I guess he really did change me. I just hope for the better.

"You look beautiful" He comments making my face go tamato red.

"I mean. It's not like you don't alway look beautiful. It's just that today, you" He studders.

A smile fills my lips at his nerviousness.

"You don't look half bad either" I reply placing my arm around his waist and into his back pocket.

He was wearing a black shirt with a dark blue desing and normal jeans. His hair fell over his eyes a bitwhich caused him to do this really sexy hair flip. Talk about swoon.

"Why thankyou" He say coping what I did but pulling me in closer.

"Ehem, we're right here you know" Eva says like the innocent girl she is when Fang pulls me in for a kiss.

"Yeah dude I don't want to see you eat my sisters face" Iggy comments making the room erupt with laughter.

"Okay well we have got to get going. See you girls and guys later" Fang says.

The moonlit night shinned so beauifuly when we walked outside I almost didn't want to get in the car. I breeze past by making me cuddle closer to Fang as he got out his car keys.

"Hey I didn't know you had a tatto" Fang comments looking at my back.

"Yeah I got it after the fire in memory of my sister. On the first pedel it reads 'Angel' in curseve" I share with him as we get in his car.

"It's cute but why a rose?" Fang asks brushing his tumb over my shoulder.

"It sorta just spoke to me in the shop that day" I say.

"I have a tattoo too you know" Fang says turning on the car and pulling out of the drive way.

"Really?" I ask turning to look at him.

"Yeah it's a pair of black wings on my left shoulder" He replies.

"And why the wings?" I ask pulling up his shirt so I can see his tattoo.

I fingure the black wings tattoo. It looks so beautiful so detailed.

"It's a way to say you can alway reach your dreams. It's kinda beacuse of my parents. See they grew up with nothing and fell in love with someone who also had nothing too but they did it. They worked so hard to be where they are today so yeah" He shares.

"Wow" I say and then add "You know what?"

"What?" Fang asks.

"I'm sorry but your tattoo makes you like three times hotter" I admit.

I look over to Fang to see him chuckling.

"Well then I'm sorry but your like off the charts beacuse a belly buttion pierceing and a tattoo. It's too much to handel" He says chuckling.

"How did you know about the" I ask but then stop when I relise what I'm wearing.

I pull my shirt down suddenly every self couscous. Fang chuckles again making me look back at him with a questioning look.

"Would Tyler the gang leader or Dreamer the fastest street racer or Chinaa the hard core partyer and unbeatable street fighter ever get self cousious?" Fang asks making me sound so hard core.

I laugh at him and then say "Well Tyler, Dreamer, and Chinna never had to go on a date with a guy that made them feel nervous and curse the butterflies that attacked her tummy every time the guy even looked at her"

Fang looked over at me with a smile on his lips but said nothing. I reach over for his right hand and hold it. He squeezes my hand making my smile even bigger.

**N/A REVIEW FOR AN UPDATE!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 **

"How much more time?" I whine still in the car.

"Almost there" He says.

"How much longer?" I whine again after a minute.

We had been driving for a while now and I'm pretty sure we just passed Sacramento. He still hadn't told me where we we're going for our date and the anticipation was killing me. I was a really hard person to plan a date thats acctually nice for but Fang isn't any better. He is just as hard to figure out what he'd plan for a first date.

Most girls get to say 'we're going out to dinner' but no I have to go through hours of torcher to get ready for who knows what, he could kill me for all I know, just kidding I trust him. Then I have to sit in a car for who knows how long to a place I have no idea how to get back home from and to top it all off I actually have to go on a date with a guy I actually care about who makes me act weird and be nervous and stupid shit like that. He's lucky I love him. Wait no rewind! I totally ment like. Yeah like not love.

"We're almost there" He replies.

"Well while were on the topic of 'there' where is there and what are we doing there." I say.

"Nope it's a surprise" He says.

I turn to face him copying my sisters best puppy dog pout. Fang glances at me and starts to laugh. I replace my pout with a frown. Fang smiles at me, but turns back to the road.

"You really shouldn't pout" Fang says still smiling.

"And why not?" I ask.

"Cuz you can't rock the whole innoucent thing" He replies laughing all over again.

"It was worth a try" I say looking over to the road again.

I was starting to get clastuphobic. I may have a high pain tolorence but my one weakness was being in a small space for a long period of time and being off the ground (afraid of hieghts). I don't know where Fang is taking me but it better be somewhere close.

"We're here" Fang announces turning off the engine after he parked the car.

I had been so busy thinking about getting out of the car I didn't notice the millions of diffrent color lights flashing. He took me to the fair. I steped out of the car taking in my surroundings. There was diffrent rides everywhere. Hundreds of kids running from ride to ride with gianit smiles on their faces.

I feel my own eyes widden. I've never been to a fair. I was always to busy playing grown up. My vains pumped with the adrenaline any five year old would have when they first get to go to the fair. I'm about to run off into the fair when a sexy chukle brings me back.

I turn to see Fang looking at me with amusment in his eyes a smile on his lips and a chuckle on his tounge. I can't help but smile back.

I push him playfully and say "Shut up, I've never been to the fair"

"Oh I can tell" He replies entwinning our fingures.

I glare at him but it's totally ruined by the smile on my lips. He just chuckles at me leading me forward. I allow him to lead me. As we get closer more sounds fill my ears just as more smells fill my nose.

Fang hands the guy at the front our tickets. He get little braclets on our wrists to go on rides. After that we walk around the fair grounds. We pass multipul stands. Theres food stands game booths and store like stands too. The ferther we go into the fair the more smells fill my nose, more laughter fills my ears, and more lights cover my eyes.

"Come on" Fang says pulling me in the direction of a ride named 'The Waver Catcher'.

We sit down on the ride and buckle our selves in. Nerves fill my tummy but I'm Maximum Ride, scared of nothing. A fat almost bald old guy starts the ride. The ride is a big cirlce that has seat inside the circle. I spins but starts to go higher then tips from one side to the other.

After a while I lose my nevers. I don't know what went through my head but I raised my arms. Fang raises his too. I feel my face portay emotion of happiness. I turn to Fang with a big smile to see his eyes swarm with happiness from my happniess. I put my hands down but not beacuse I was over the excitment but beacuse I relised that I am so lucky to have such an amazing guy.

I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him in for a kiss. His arms restraned by the bar still manage to wrap around my waist pulling me closer. Our kiss overflows with so many diffrent emotions I can't point them out. Our kiss is so powerful but so weak at the same time. Echos of Aww's surround us reminding me we have an aduience. I pull back with a hot blush on my face.

"I love how you can be so tough but when we kiss you get pink" He says as the ride comes to a stop.

"Being tough is easier than showing emotion." I say finally reliseing how true that was.

I remember so clearly everything I did. I remember racing so fast it felt like I was flying. I remember putting all my anger in every singel punch I made. I remember seeing my sisters face in every shot of tequila I took. I remember the gang meetings where I would feel like I actually belong. I remember always acting so tough.

I guess the reason I did all thoses thing were beacuse I didn't care if I lived to see morning again. I hated my life so much I took every risk I could to end up dead. But I was nor will I ever be strong beacuse someone who is strong is someone who doesn't need any of the things I did to servive.

"Your brother Dylan use to tell me 'A strong person doesn't need a tequila shot to forget. Too bad we ain't strong' I didn't paid much attention to his adivse that night beacuse to him life was a game and we all knew we were losing" I say.

I feel my mind break through the barriers I put up in my mind.

"Your brother was never a loser in the game of life even back then I knew it beacuse he could be such a good person he just needed someone to take that cup out of his hand." I add.

"I'm here Max and I'll take that cup out of your hand" Fang says bringing me back to reality.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

Fang had just dropped me off at my old home. I don't even know why I call it 'home'. A home is a place where your surrounded by people who love you no matter what and always have you back. My house was filled with voice too quite to be heard and some to loud to be understood.

The streets were a better home to me than my own house. At least back then I had people who took care of me. I was never alone. There were people more fucked up or just as much as me. People that felt the same as me. Friends that went or are going through what I did, what I am.

Our date had been amazing. We went on millions of rides and eat all diffrent kinds of food. We played millions of carvavel games winning only two things. A big polor bear I won at the darts booth thats I gave to Fang and a cute mediam size teddy bear luis got for trying.

It was the exact definition of a 'perfect date'. Eva and Nudge were happily awaiting to jump me tomorrow at school for a fully descripted completely outlined story of how my date went.

I creept into the house trying to make as little noise as possiable as to not wake my brothers. My mother wouldn't be home yet beacuse it was bearly ten meaning Eva had left just ten minutes ago. So I wouldn't have to worry about her.

I enter the house and start to make my way to my room. In a instance the light blink on in the living room. I turn as fast as I possiably can.

"Why hello Tyler or should I say Maximum" A familiar voice says.

"Show your self bastered" I shout for the lights blinked off as soon as I turned.

"Oh Maximum who would have known you had such a cute little family here and what a sweet boyfriend you have there. It'd be such a shame if something were to happen to them" The voice said.

"Don't you dare even look at them" I scream in all directions.

The lights blink on again. My eyes scan everything. Not a thing is out of place nor a person I love hurt infront of me but there standing in the middle of the living room was none other than Jack. The gang leader of the wolves who lost his rep beacuse of me and tried to kill me in the past.

"Jack" I spit his name, my voice leaking with venom and steel.

"Why yes Tyler, I mean Maximum your right" Jack says.

"How do you know my name!" I damaned more than ask.

"Well if you must know after our little incounter I finally saw I couldn't take you down by myself so I brought in some old friends. I got them watching thoese two little friends of yours, the boyfriend, and of cource your brothers" He tells.

As he babbles on I use it to my advantage to look for a wepond and emergancy an escape. I spot the novel 'Fallen' which I took the liberty of carving out the pages and placing a P-08 Luger Pistol in. It rests on the top of the frige. It's about 3 feet away from me and pretty risky. To my left maybe 4 feet away from me was the exact same window I pushed my brothers through in the fire. That would be my escape.

I look him over and see he's loaded. He's got a Savage 17hmr in his left boot a 45acp-Killer tucked into his pants and a Ruger 7mm mag straped to his back.

"Then I found out about all the other dirty little jobs you've done. And about your little sister." He says getting my attention once again.

"I thought what better way to hurt my ememy then to kill her family the way her sister was killed" He adds.

"If you know whats good for you you won't touch a singel strand of hair on there heads!" I threaten.

"Don't worry Maximum I won't touch them if..." He says but doesn't finish.

"If what!" I shout.

"If you come back into the ring. A grand battel to the death. I'll even make it worth your wild. You win your familys safe, you kill me, and you win 10,000. But if you lose your family suffers you die and I get the satisfaction of finally beating you" Jack says.

"And if I don't" I say.

"Well lets just say everyone you know will die and you'll be keept alive to suffer." He says walking out of the house.

"By the way don't even think about calling the cops beacuse they can catch you for just as much as they can me" Jack says leaving and then adds "If not more"

I sit on the couch and think the hardest I ever have. He had me this time and on every point. I couldn't call the cops beacuse I'd go to jail and wouldn't be able to protect my family when he came back for revenge. I couldn't not do the fight beacuse he was high in power these days while I had tried to leave it all behind. He could send grenades down on my house at any second with just the snap of his fingers.

My only choice was to do the fight. My only problem was that I hadn't done an of it for so long. I needed back up. I needed my family. My street family. I pull out my phone and text all my racer, street fighters, partiers, and gang members. If I was going to win this I was going to need everyone.


	20. Chapter 20

**N/A**

**Alejandro: Brother of That Kid From Grief Group That Lost His Brother To His Own Gang**

**Jack: Rivel Gang Leader Of Max's Gang Who Swore He'd Get His Revenge**

* * *

><p>Chapter 20<p>

I'm surrounded by white. Even the floor looks like white clouds. I keep walking forward into the mysterious white room, world? Whatever it is. The ferther I go into the white cloud the more I can make out. The white world actually was a room, my room. The room my sister and I shared and sitting there on the bed was my sister. Angel.

I run to her as fast as I possiabley can. I reach her in a milasecond. I open my mouth to ask questions to say something, anything but nothing comes out. I feel a tear of pure happiness and joy fall down my cheek as I throw my arms around her embracing her with all my stregth.

A familiar joyful laugh fills the room and I freeze for a second beacuse it her laugh. Exsactly the way I remember it. I squeze her tighter beacuse everything feels so right. Something that hasn't felt like this in years.

"I've missed you too Max" She says her voice so pure as she hugs me too.

I pull away but take the next to her on our old bed, like old times. For a moment nothing crosses my mind. For once in my life I'm only thinking of whats right infront of me and that was my sister. Too bad she wasn't thinking like me. Leave it to Angel to become so wise just beacuse she's an angel.

"Max we gotta talk" She says with a worried face and adds "God i've missed you. You still wear that wall around your face, your still so strong."

"I miss you too" I say as another tear runs down my cheek.

"Okay no more mushy stuff we have to get serious" Angel says trying her best to look older sound wiser.

"What's to worry about? I'm here with you!" I say throwing my arms in the air and then falling back on the bed.

I sit up in an instant "Wait. I'm here with you, but that means...Jack won"

"No Max he hasn't won" Angel says.

"Then?" I ask

"This is a dream" Angel says slowly.

A flash of sadness cover her face for a second but vanishes as fast as it came. I don't have to wounder what my face is looking like beacuse i'm sure its full of disappointment.

"Of cource" I whisper slowly bringing reality back into my world.

"I'm sorry Max, but I had to talk to you and it was either this or to kill you" Angel explains.

"You should have just killed me" I mubble quitely to myself but I know she heard me.

"You cant talk like that. Iggy and Gazzy need you. Your all they have. You always told me you'd do anything for us and you sound like a quitter to me" Angel says.

"I'm sorry, your right. So what did you have to tell me?" I ask looking at our old tv.

The telivison is just as I remember it exsept it has bottions that have years on them. I stand up exsamining it. On the screen it is set to the year 2000 Angel and me are sleeping in a landry basket in the kiten. Many emotion run through me as I remember the day.

I remember that Angel had done something bad and my mom got mad. Angel's punishment was to sleep in the kiten by herself but when everyone went to sleep I snuck in and slept with her.

"Like it? Every angel gets one. They hold all of our perisous memorise. I always watch it. This ones my favorite one thou." She says smiling at the tv.

"So whats important again?" I ask trying not to cry again as I turn away from the television.

Angel looks at me and says "You know sometimes it's alright to feel sad. You miss the old days, I do too"

I don't reply. She sighs knowing I was never good with emotion.

"Do you remember when Jack was leader of your rival gang?" Angel ask changing the subject.

"Of cource" I reply looking at her.

"Okay well remember when he hadn't shown up for two of the gang fights thoese two weeks?" She asks.

"Sure I do" I say.

"Well durring that time he had sprung a deal with Fuentes about taking over the drug deals all over east LA inechange for the Vivitar territoir." Angel says

"Thats why Fuentes went after Alejandro, our head drug dealer who always dealed clean. Alejandro would never let Jack make dirty deals. Thats why they killed him. But what does that have to do with me?" I continue.

"Alejandros not dead and if your going to win this your going to need him" Liliana says.

"Wait a minute is he's not dead where is he? and who the heck do you know all this. You um...passed away before I ever got jumped into the gang" I ask.

"He faked his murrder, started clean. Changed his look everything. You wouldn't recoginze him if you saw him. And about the whole spying on you part you can't blame me you were so crazy I was scared you'd join me too soon" Angel says.

"Okay so he started new but where is he?" I ask not bringing up the her spying on me part back up beacuse shes right. I was reckless.

"He goes to your school. You know him...very well might I add." She says hidding a small smile.

I look at her with the most confused face ever and right when i'm going to ask her something she says with a smile "We don't have much time Gazzy is about to jump on you and wake you up"

"Okay I say but before I go can...can we sing a song together like old times?" I ask.

"Of cource" she says with a smile i'll never forget, not even if I could.

**(Remember When By Avril Lavigne) **

Angel: _Remember when I cried to you a million times? I told you everyting, you know my feelings_

Me: _It never crossed my mind that there would be a time for us to say goodbye. What a big surprise._

Angel: _But I'm not lost, I'm not gone_

Me: _I haven't forgot. These feelings I can't shake no more, theses feeling of running out the door I can feel it falling down _

Angel: _And I'm not comming back around_

Me: _these feelings I can't take no more, this emptiness of the bottom drawer. It's getting harder to pretend_

Angel: _And I'm not comming back around again_

Both: _Remember when_

Angel: _I remember when it was together 'til the end _

Me: _Now I'm all alone again. Where do I beggin? I cried a little bit._

Angel: _You died a little bit. Please say theres no regrets and say you won't forget but I'm not lost, I'm not gone _

Me: _I haven't feelings I can't shake no more, theses feeling of running out the door I can feel it falling down._

Angel: _And I'm not comming back aroud_

Me: _these feelings I can't take no more, this emptiness of the bottom drawer. It's getting harder to pretend._

Angel: _And I'm not comming back around again._

Both: _Remember when _

Me: _that was then now it's the end _

Angel: _I'm not comming back _

Me: _I can't pretend_

Both: _Remember when_


	21. Chapter 21

**N/A **

**Longer Verizon!****!**

**Please Re-read!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 21<p>

Fang's Point of View

The rain drizzled on the windshield making everything look blurry. Relief washes over me as I thank god the rain hadn't start till after my date with Max. I had stayed outside her house for a while even after she had gotten inside. Let's call it a gut feeling but I just knew something bad was going to happen.

There was word that Jack was planning his vengeance against the mighty Taylor also known as Maxmum Ride herself. Jack himself was dangerous. The only thing going for Max was that she knew his two weaknesses, impulse triggered by anger and his own stupidity. But even Jack wasn't stupid enough to try and take down Max alone, especially after there last encounter.

If you haven't guessed it I am Alejandro Chavez, head drug dealer, Eagle gang member, but also the only person who holds the key to Max's sacred heart. While Max had done everything in her power to stay away from the streets, I had clung to them. No one recognized me as Alejandro so no one ever noticed the guy who secretly got into the gang meetings, who somehow was able to keep close contact with those who could be trusted and stay away from the two faced 'homies' from the streets.

I remember when Max had admitted to me of her past and how badly I wanted to spill my whole life's story right then and there. I have never lied to Max but I haven't been one hundred percent honest. I loved Max even back when we were in our gang days but back then it seemed like she was unreachable.

She was too good for any of the guys that were practically swooning in her mere presence who had way more to offer her than the main drug dealer of The Eagles, but even back then I would have given my life for her.

I guess I am pretty popular at our high school and no I don't deny that many girls try and through themselves at me but there's just this thing with Max. She's not like all those other girl's. She's strong, smart, and I guess just plain old different.

I guess given the chance to start my life over again knowing what would happen if I messed up again I could have forgotten about that rebellious, young, beautiful girl I admired from afar for many years, but when I had spotted her in my first period English class I couldn't stop myself from going to her, and before I knew it this gorgeous girl had trusted me with her greatest fears, her personal problems, and her weakness not knowing whether or not I would just turn around and use them against her.

A vibration brought me back to reality. The vibration was coming from my phone. The name that lit up the screen was of one of the few people from my past that I still trust to this day, Gustavo. We were good friends back in the day but we never really put up an effort to keep our friendship. His call had me on high alert.

"Hey" I answer into the phone.

"Al, we have a problem" Gustavo replies.

His voice laced with urgency and fear puts me even more on the edge. Gustavo was never one to panic.

"What do you mean G? Whats wrong?" I ask panic leaking out of my voice.

"It's Chinaa." He says.

Gustavo was one of the very few that knew about my new life and about Max, meaning that if he called she is in serious trouble.

"What about her? Is she hurt? God damn it I knew something bad was going to happen tonight. I shouldn't have left her alone" I rant on to the phone.

"Pull it together Al. She's fine." Gustavo says in tempt to keep me sane.

"Then!" I demand of Gustavo.

"Jack was just at her house" He says quietly into the phone.

When I don't reply he continues. "He wants a fight"

"That all? well we'll give a hell of a fight! Round up the gang we-" I instruct.

"Let me continue" Gustavo says interrupting me and then adds " He wants a fight...to the death, just him and Chinaa. If she wins she gets the satisfaction of his death, her families safety and 100,000 dollars cash"

"And if he wins?" I ask into the phone.

A soft sigh comes from the phone as Gustavo answers me.

"If he wins she dies and her family suffers"

I snap closed the phone from all my anger. Not only did Max know his weaknesses but now he knew hers and knowing Max there'd be no point to convince her to leave the country, or to forget the fight. She was doing this but that didn't mean she'd do it fair. If she'd ever stand a chance at defeating Jack and his lackies she was going to need her family, her street family.

I turn back around and head to the old abandon warehouse where Gustavo, Max, and all her street family were sure to be, devising some kind of plan. As I drive on I notice a black Lamborghini tailing me. It was not a usual car anyone in Fairfield owned, let alone drove around at two in the morning. I make a sharp right turning on to a different street accelerating my speed.

The midnight black Lamborghini is almost unseen by the naked eye in the dark so I make another turn onto a local street surrounded by shops, houses, but most importantly street lamps. I look into my review mirror only to spot the car racing behind me. I speed even fast turning on to empty streets. I keep going down that road when suddenly a navy blue Expedition rides up to my right blocking any escape on that side.

With the black Lamborghini tailing me and the blue expedition on my right my only option was left and straight-ahead. I make another sharp turn to my left onto a narrower street realizing it was my street. Whatever was following me had me right where they wanted me and that was home.

Another car comes to my left trapping me right in front of my house. Standing on my front steps was Jack. But how could he know i'm Alejandro? He walks up to my car window and signals for me to lower my window. As I lower my window I decided to act like Fang Garcia, Max's boy friend.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"But Max we could-"Gustavo starts but I cut him off.

"There are no but's G I need to do this" I pleaded hopping he could understand.

I had rung up my street family for an emergency meeting at the old abandoned warehouse we use to hold our gang meetings in. We were only ten minutes into the meeting and already they thought everything coming out of my mouth was a bad idea. I wanted to take on Jack on his challenge. If one thing Maximum Ride is no pussy.

"All I'm saying is we could go about this differently. There really is no need for you to even take part of Jack's stupid little games. You have a fake passport, birth certification, death certification. Pretty much everything you need to start a new life. We could ship you to Mexico this minute if you let us." Gustavo replied dispare showed on his face.

"What about my family? There's no way we can get them everything they need for a new life and even if we did there is no possible way we could pull off shipping us all off to Mexico without one of us getting caught." I explain frustration taking over.

"Look this is my only choice, My families only chance." I say my eyes getting glossy at the thought of what would happen if I lost.

I redeemed control over my emotions as Gustavo sighs giving up on arguing with me. Sonya looks as if she wanted to say something, maybe argue with me more so I speak up.

"Look, I am doing this with or without you guys. You guys are everything to me and it would mean the world if you could be there for me but I understand-" I add but get cut off.

"Shut up Max, there is no way we'd ever let you face Jack alone we're a family, a fucked up one, but still a family and family sticks together" Sonya says to me and then adds under her breath so only I would hear "or so I've heard"

I look over the faces sitting in this old run down house and really see just how lucky I am for the first in maybe my whole life. I may never have a good relationship with my mom or my dad but looking at all these faces I see I've always had a family. I have Gustavo who's like a father to me, Dylan and Sam who are like my big brothers, Sonya and Cassandra who have always felt like my sisters.

I have the people who have always stuck by my side even when times got tough. I had Sonya who had also lost someone and felt she had no one but still never left me alone to face the world. I had Gustavo who no matter what always got my ass out of whatever hole I've put myself in. I had Sam and Dylan who always knew how to make you feel better even when they couldn't them selves. I had Cassandra who has been lied to her whole life but would never lie to you.

I open my mouth to speak and tell everyone how much they mean to me when the back door busts open. Everyone stands immediately. Sonya and Cassandra pull out pocket knives from their teased hair, Gustavo pulls out a 45 Colt from his waist band, Dylan goes into battle stance along with his brother Sam. A dark figure moves out from the darkness and into the dim light of the warehouse.

Fang appears beyond the door. Dylan, Sam, and Gustavo relax but Sonya and Cassandra still look on wearily until Gustavo nods at them. My eyes move back to Fang. He looks like he's fighting within himself on something.

"Fang?" I ask wanting to know what he was doing here or how he even found this place.

Fang's eyes meet mine and he seems to have come to a conclusion with himself. He walks straight to where I was standing in front of everyone. Confusion fills me but I'm the only one. Everyone else has settled back into their chairs.

I turn around to face Fang instead of everyone else. His eyes purposely ignore mine.

"Look I don't know what any of you were planning, but if playing fair was one you better rule it out. Jack and his goons will certainly not being play by any of our rules." Fang says to the group.

How did he know about Jack and his game? I only ever talked about Jack once to him and quickly. One of those long story short so how could he unless- My own thoughts were cut off by Sonya.

"What's your plan?"

"Mexico?" Fang suggests in the form of a question.

"Tried it." Gustavo answers looking at the back of me.

"Then until anyone can come up with a good plan we train her. Jack paid me a visit just a couple of minutes ago hinting this 'battle' may not actually be a fist battle. I have a feeling he may just test her on all her different lives." Fang said.

What did he mean my other lives? He doesn't know about Dreamer much less China and only the background of Tyler. Who was he? He certainly wasn't my Fang. My sisters words from last nights dream come to life in my head at that very moment.

_"He faked his murder, started clean. Changed his look everything. You wouldn't recognize him if you saw him..."_

"You-Your Alejandro" I studded my eyes wide with astonishment.

Fang then decides to bring his attention back to me. He looks at me as if he's almost forgotten I was standing there. When his eyes meet mine a swarm of emotions from worry to caution fill his eyes.

"I wanted to tell you. Back when you told me about Tyler I wanted to confess my whole story to you but I couldn't" Fang-er Alejandro explains taking a step towards me.

I take a step back as if I'd been slapped in the face cause it sure felt that way. Fang was the only guy I ever trusted with every single thing I've got and he had been holding pretty much his life from me. I feel like I had been betrayed on so many levels I couldn't even comprehend the pain.

"Max?" He whispers coming closer trying to reach out to me with worry and guilt written all over his face.

Even my name felt weird coming out of his mouth now that I knew he was Alejandro. The young guy I always had this crush on back in my gang days was now just another reason why I should never trust. I move back another step until I'm maybe two feet from the door. I turn and run out like I did that day he had asked me what was wrong. The only difference was I doubted he was going to follow me.

I jump into my car turning on the engine and before you know it I'm maybe a mile away from the wear house. Guess you could say I'm one heck of a street racer. I try and keep my mind off what just happened, but my heart has chewed my brain and spit it out like poison in it's mouth.

My eyes get glassy with tears threatening to spill. Without my permission tears begin to fall from my most likely red eyes. My vision blurs a little until its pretty much gone.

A loud honk comes from my left bringing me back to reality. I grab hold of the steering wheel trying to gain control but it's too late for me to try and escape it's path. I feel the weight of 600 tons slam against my left side. I hear someone scream my name before I go completely numb. Everything goes black and the last thing I see is Fang's worried face crouch before me dirt blood and all.


	23. Chapter 23

**N/A**

**Need A LOT Of Reviews **

**For A Quick Update**

**(Chapters 24 & 25)**

**Cause ****I Always Take **

**Lonqq On Endings**

**But I Might Go Faster **

**If I Get LOTS Of Reviews!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 23<p>

Here's a good excuse to take me I think as I black out. All I see is black, miles and miles of pure darkness. I stare into the dark with no hope of anything. I have never in all my life felt such a numb. I wounder if this is how it feels to die or if I'm already dead. A part of me argues that a dead person wouldn't be able to think seeing as I can't see, smell, or feel but another part remembers that it'd be a miracle to survive a crash like that.

A small petite figure moves closer to me. I wounder aloud if it's the Devil ready to take me to his home. No fear passes over me though. A feeling of great happiness captures my body as I recognize that small frame. It's my sister Angel. Angel gets closer and closer until she's finally standing before me.

"Oh Max" Angel says her face sporting a disappointed look.

"What?" I ask her.

Angel just shook her head like she was a wise mother hen and I was her trouble making chick. I remember when it use to be the other way around. When I was the wise one, or at least as wise as a ten year old could be, and she was the little one.

"You shouldn't have run from Fang he was only trying to help you." Angel says her face looks worried as she shakes her head again.

"Angel he lied to me! He hide his entire life from me while I played the stupid teenager who falls in love and trusts the stupid mysterious new guy. God I feel like a complete loser for trusting him." I tell her on the verge of tears for everything coming out of my mouth was so true.

"Max your not a loser." Angel tells me putting an arm around me.

She has this sad kind of scared look in her eyes. This is the first time I have ever cried or been remotely close to tears in front of her. I don't care how wise she thinks she's gotten in heaven nothing could brace you for having to be the tough one after years of being the emotional one.

"It's a lot hard than it looks" Angel tells me.

I look up at her with a questioning face.

"Being strong. Doing what you've done my whole life. Sometimes I wounder how you do it, how you even make it through the day." Angel admits to me laying her head down on top of mine.

"Years or practice" I whisper to no one precisely but into the dark.

Angel looks at me again with that same face and tells me "I love you, you know that right?"

My lips turn up a little as I nod answering her question.

"Good. Don't you ever forget it or even doubt it. Iggy, Gazzy, and I are so damn lucky to have such an amazing sister." She says and kisses my forehead.

We stay like that for a while just enjoying each others presence but then a white beam comes out of nowhere. It shines down just to the left of where we stand. Angel starts to walk towards it. The white beam has transported into an escalator going up. Angel stands at the foot of it about to get on when she turns and waves good-bye leaving me completely in the dark again except this time I can feel, hear, and smell.

A small noise that resembles a door opening startles me. I look but I still see nothing but darkness. Four pairs of feet enter what I suppose is some kind of hospital room.

"Our analysis give us evidence that she may be able to hear you but is not yet in the state to be able to form responses with her words or body." A voice says somewhere in the darkness.

My brain right away places the voice as a doctor or nurse because of the way it's spoken.

"Thanks Doc" A familiar voice responds somewhere to my left.

I think and think of who's voice it is until it hits me. Fang. It's his voice. The same noise I first heard appears again as what I presume to be a doctor leaves the room.

"So what do we do Fang?" Iggy's voice asks.

He sounds like he's being my little solider trying to be strong for his brother even though he may be dying on the inside.

"Just talk to her. Tell her something that'll make her fight to get back here." Fang suggest his voice laced with comfort.

"Hey Max, I don't know if you can hear me but I just wanna say I love you. I know we have our moments but their isn't a doubt in my mind that you only do whats best for me and Gazzy. I know you miss Angel a lot. I miss her too so if you get the chance tell her I love her and I miss her tons but also tell her to watch over you and to not take you from us cause we need you" Iggy says his voice cracking through out his speech.

"That was sweet Iggy" Fang says and then adds "Would you like to say anything to Max Gazzy?"

I feel small arms wrap around me and tears stain my shirt. I want with everything in me to hug him back and whip away those tears but I feel a restraint. Someone takes him off me.

"Come on Gazzy lets go get some chips" Iggy's voice suggests.

The door closes for the second time and I know I'm alone with Fang.

"Maximum Ride if you can hear me you better knee God in the balls and run like the wind back here. Don't you think for one moment your leaving me or your brothers. I may not need you the way your brothers do but I still need you." Fang tells me taking hold of my hand.

I feel a light pressure on the pit of my stomach as if someones laid there head there. Small wet drops land on my skin in the form of tears.

"I'm sorry Max. I should have told you. Please make it out of this and I promise I'll never ever keep something like that from you" Fang says trying his hardest to keep his voice from cracking.

The door opens and the nurse says "Times up it's the next persons turn."

I feel Fang collect himself and make his way out. A minute later I hear the door open again. Two pairs of feet come in this time. I wounder who it is.

"Damn Max you look like shit" Gustavo's voice says.

I hear a grunt come from him as Sonya's voice says "He's just kidding you look great! Nothing a little mascara some eye liner, okay who am I kidding you look like crap."

I tell me brain to smile and say 'Thanks that's what every girl just loves to hear' but it doesn't listen.

"Well Max It's Gustavo here. They told us to tell you something heart felt. As if you were going to die." Gustavo says like it's not a possibility.

"I know you too well to know you'd let a small thing like a car accident make you give up on life. You'll be up and kicking ass in no time kiddo. Well get better soon cause there's no way in hell I'm attending your funeral alive." Gustavo adds.

"Wussup Ride? Guess not much huh? Well I just wanted to say you better not die on my ass cause we still got a million of memories to make, okay?" Sonya says trying to keep her cool but her voice sounds worried.

"Come on lets go I think the doctor said there was one more person waiting to visit her." Gustavo says.

"You go ahead I just got one more thing to say." Sonya's voice answers.

The door closes and Sonya says "Ride your like my sister you have stuck by me even when I had nothing. You keep our whole messed up family together and you still manage to stay off the streets and take care of your brothers. Your my hero."

"And I would hope my hero wouldn't let everyone down by doing something as stupid as dying. So lets make a promise like we did when we were girls. You don't die and I'll stay sober." Sonya says taking my pinkie and hooking it with hers.

I beg my brain to respond to her to tell her it's a promise. To do something but it does nothing.

"See ya Ride" Sonya says as she leaves.

A couple of minutes pass until another person enters my room. The steps sound scared, a little sad and quite as if so no one should make them out. I feel someone take hold of my hand and hold it tightly. Small hot tears hit my arms from the person holding my hand up to their lips.

"I'm so sorry mi grande...for everything." My mothers voice whispers as more tears run down my arms.

My whole body goes into shock. She was my last visitor? Did anyone know she was here? How'd she find out I was here? My mind can't seem to wrap around the thought that my mom had cared enough to come visit me or that she had admitted to doing something wrong and was apologizing.

I hear foot steps approaching my room and the warmth from my mothers hands surrounding mine vanish in an instant. I guess no one did know she came and she didn't seem like she wanted anyone to find out. I hear the door quietly click shut only to be opened a second time.

"Are you sure you'd like to spend the night in Ms. Ride's room?" The doctors voice asked.

"Yes" Fang's voice answers.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Keep it up Chinaa! I wanna see sweat. Come on, I know you can go faster!" G shouts somewhere behind me.

It had been two weeks senice I was discharged from the Hospital. Everyone had taken it upon themselves to get me back into fighting shape. As if I was ever out of it! Everyone's been running me raged the minute they got the A-Okay from the Doc. You'd think I would've gotten to relax for a bit, but I guess having a death threat over your head changes things a bit huh?

Gustavo's in charge of my morning work outs or like he enjoys calling them, warm-up's. He wakes me up at four A.M. exsactly every morning for a 12 mile run on the Griffen trail then we spend two hours on fighting techniques. Gustavo's "job" is to get me into shape, Sonya's is to bring the old me back, Dylan helps me with my speed, Sam trains me for hand to hand combat, and Casandra help me with making quick desicons durring a fight.

Fang and I were back on good terms now. When I woke up at the Hospital I tried to make it seem like he was still unforgiven, but I just couldn't not see why he did everything that he did after my hallucination. No one knows about what I saw back at the Hospital or heard and I plan to keep it that way. There were enough people worrying about me, I don't need them thinking I'm crazy too.

Although I have forgiven Fang I never see much of him on my training days. He's the only one that isn't assigned a "job" on the Jessica Valdez project. Whenever I bring him up Dylan and Sam quickly dismiss it, only making my suspisonces even higher. I ask Sonya and G once too but they just gave me a weird look and I just drop it.

Fang has given up everything to escape his past and only hold on to whats important and now I was bring him back into all of it. It's not fair. Not to him, not to his family.

"Whatcha thinking 'bout Chinaa?" G whispers in my ear bring reality back into perspective.

Last I checked Gustavo was a good mile and a half behind me I guess when Fang enters my mind everything just freezes or at least I do physicly. Which is never a good idea when your fighting for your life.

"Sorry G, my mind's been kinda blah latley." I reply to him quickly escaping my trance of my thoughts on Luis.

Gustavo gives me a weird look I've never seen G sport. His eyes display the mix of emotion between worry and grief. A look that scares me more than even Jack himself. G never gives up. He's always been the first one that walks into mission and the last one to walk out but now he has no choice but to walk ahead of me instead of behind.

I hide my reaction to his worried eyes and say "So what's next coach?"

He just shakes his head lighly as if i had just broke him out of his thoughts.

"Your done for the day Chinaa" He says and starts to walk down the trail.

"But it's only five? My time with Munoz doesn't start 'til seven." I argue from behind him.

"Class is cut short today" G mumbles into the forest as he keeps on walking down the trail.

I don't run after G to see whats wrong because I already know. The fight was coming up soon and everyone was on the edge. Gustavo was-no is the only father figure I've ever had. I've heard him say I was a daughter to him a million of times, I've seen it in the way he makes me work hard for everything I want, I've felt it in the way he's always had my back when no one else did.

I know it must be hard for him to just stand on the sideline while I risk my life so that maybe someday I can live without fear. I know that my parents wouldn't miss me if I was gone tomorrow, but I also know that to my family, my real family I'll be dearly missed. I know that I'd never be replaced.

"Wassup Valdez? G said I'd find you hear. He told me you just got tired so he cut class short, but damn the look in his eyes made him seem like a part of him just died." Munoz says taking a seat on the tree stump next to mine.

Time passes and I don't say a word and neither does she. Confortable silence was always something me and her shared. After a while I gather up the courge unable to take the silence thats holds so many questions and ask the one I need to know.

"Do you think I'll come out of it...alive?" I ask quietly into the woods.

Sonya doesn't reply to me. She just takes me hand and stares into the open forest. Her silent presences means more than anything she could've said. When we were girls and her mom had died I never knew what to say so I'd just hold her when she sobed, listen when she ranted, and simply be there when she felt she had no one. The same way she did for me when my sister died.

I couldn't imagine who I'd be if I had just ran away from Sonya when she came to school like a zombie after her mom's death, only funcioning cause she couldn't help it. Everyone was terified of the girl with the broken heart but I in some way understood her, felt her pain.

"I won't be able to take it if everyone just keeps depressing me all day" I tell her quietly.

Munoz looks up at me with an old twinkle in her eyes. That reminds me for a second who she use to be before her mothers death. For a second she resembles the little girl who had no care in the world. The girl with the big bright smile.

"Let's go to that old park we use to run away to. Back when we were angry with the world." She suggests turning to look at me with that old childish smile we both never really got to use.

"Where we never left each others side" I say to her with the same smile.

"Through the best and the worse, and trust me Valdez we've been through the worst." Munoz says as if we're making a cheer to better days.

And with that we make our way down to maybe the only place that knows all our secrets besides us. The place where two little girls went from having fun to crying to being angry to fucking up to what we hope will be a better tomorrow.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

There was thirty minutes left until I entered a room I may never exit. Jack had said that he would pick one of my lives and test me in it that's why I trained for all of them. I stand in the old abandoned warehouse where our old gang meetings use to be with the only family I've ever really had. Iggy and Gazzy we're home with Eva and Martha, none of them knew anything.

We had come to the decision that if anything happend to me that Sonya would take them in. She's my best friend and if anyone would take better care of them then me it was her. I truly trusted the five people that stood by my side in what may be my last moments. I feel tears threaten to spill, but I won't give Jack the satisfaction at seeing he's hurt me.

"Remember pain is just a message" Gustavo says to me not being able to do anything but give me advice.

"Got it." I say to G with a small smile hoping to give him faith that I'll walk back out that door.

"And remember a round house kick to his chest is more efficent then a punch to his face" Sonya reminds me in the same voice Gustavo used.

"I've got this you guys. Don't you guys remember who I am? I'm Maximum freakin' Ride! I make it thru everything." I say to them hoping to at least give them hope even if I've lost my own.

"We love you China never forget it" Dylan says to me with a sad smile.

Just like me he has given up hope.

"How could I? You'll be able to remind me when I walk out that door in ten minutes!" I say sacraticly.

Like I always say 'when in doubt, joke it out'.

"Seriously Ride" Sam says.

"How could I ever forget the group of people that never gave up on me even when I had given up all hope in myself, I love you guys so much." I say in a serious tone.

Cassandra starts to ball out as the clock indicates I've got five minutes. I hug her closely and everyone falls in after that. We all hold each other until the buzzer goes off and the door opens. I let everyone go and walk in with my head held high. If I was going down I was going down with a fight.

I'm alone in the wearhouse basement with only Jack. He stands at the other side of the room with an expression that could be translated into a look of anoyence as if he's just wasting his time.

"Let's just get this over with" I spit in Jack direction.

"Always the impacient one huh Max?" Jack says to me.

"Cut the bull shit and tell me what life you picked?" I say my voice like steel.

"Street Fighting." He says and we go at each other.

He sends a side ways kick to the left side of my body in an attemp to get me to the ground. I throw him a few feet away from me with a round house kick to his chest. I advance on him and try and send another kick to him but he catches my foot, and throws me to the floor.

I push my self up ignoring the pain. Pain was nothing but a message and right now I wasn't taking any. I throw powerful blows onto his rib cage til I feel bone crack under my fist. Jack sends a sad excuse for a kick to my chest but loses his balence and barley hits my shoulder. I throw a side kick to his left but he pushes me against the wall before I can react.

"Egar to end our little dispute I see" He comments trancing a scar on my cheek.

I try to push his weight off me but I'm not strong enough. He keeps me in that postions until I slide past him. I throw a punch with my right hand to his face and feel another crack but this time it's my own. Shit! Now I'd have to punch with my left.

"Dumb little Ride still making childish mistakes. Remember I had a cheek implant when one of your boys busted it. Guess that came in handy now" Jack said as he spit the blood out of his mouth.

I wasn't in the mood for any of his bull shit. I didn't want to talk I wanted to fight.

"Don't wanna talk?" He asks as he whips the hot red blood from his lips.

I continue to try and throw kicks and punches at him but his talking annoys me and puts me off.

"You know you'll never make it out of here alive don't you?" He says.

My grip tightens and I continue to throw punches his way. No one tells Maximum Ride what will or won't happen because not even Jessica Valdez knows herself.

"Whys that" I say my voice scratchy but tough like the old me.

"I pretty much already won" I say spiting blood on his face.

"'cause you play fair" He says pulling out a Glock.

"Where'd you get that?" I ask.

I remember that gun. It was the type of Guns The Wolves would use. We stashed them in our warehouse...Shit we we are in the wearhouse.

"Now do you know why you've lost?" He says as he points the gun at me finger on the triger.

My fight or flight instinc starts to kick in and right now it's screaming flight. My eyes franticly search the room for any exits. There are two but there too far away. I guess it all ends right here.

I think about closing my eyes but decided I'd rather die tough so I hold my head high and exept my fait.

"Any last words?" Jack asks like the dumbass he is.

I open my mouth in hope of buying sometime but someone beats me to it.

"Just one; Freeze" A man dressed in a black uniform says as a huge crowed of the men barge into the room guns pointed.

They concisist of the swat team and old friends of mine. Sonya, Dylan, Gustavo, Sam, Casandra, Fang, and many more friends stand with a pure look of courage with guns in their hands. Jack looks at me with that old Loco look I know too well and I know he's gonna shoot.

He points the gun to my chest. An officer pushes him aginst the wall but it's too late. Jack had already taken his finger off the trigure. I feel a percing firery pain in my left shoulder as I fall to the ground not being able to do anything, but clutch my shoulder and hope it ends soon.

I watch as ten men jump onto Jack and more gun shots go off. Fang runs to my side and holding me in his lap. He's mouth is moving, but I can't hear him anymore. I watch his hands going over where the bullet riped thru my flesh with a look in his eyes I never wish to see again in my life. My vision starts to blur and the last thing I see is my street families worried faces surrounding me and I pray with everything in me that I won't ever forget them.


	26. Chapter 26

Epilogue:

Here I was hidden behind a far away tree lurking in the shadows. No one knew I was here not even Fang. No one would understand my need To be at Jack's funeral. You see when Jack died my past lives died too. The lives of dreamer, Chinaa, and Tyler so that only Maximum could live on.

Burying my past didn't mean I forget it and try to be something I'm not. No, I've tried that before and all it got me was a gun pointed my way. Burying my past means moving on but never forgeting who I was and what I did because it made me who I am.

Dreamer, Chinaa, and Tyler may just have been parts of who I was but they made me strong, smart, tough, and in the end they finally managed to fix the shadders in my heart. My heart may never be whole again and I could never expect it to be because my life is diffrent without my sister but all the people I've meet at Dreamer, Chinaa, and Tyler helped fix something I never could've fixed myself.

I've learned so many things from Dreamer, Chinaa, and Tyler that I could never regret them. I've learned to keep my head high but my middle finger higher, that tears are not weakness but strength to show emotion, but most importantly that no matter what happens or how badly you mess up Life goes on.

The End

**...Or Is It? The SECOND BOOK To This Novel Is Called 'The Wolves' Go Review It! **


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